Combination Shipping and Display Device for Merchandise

Abstract

The present invention is a combination shipping and display device that is adapted to serve as both the manufacturer's packaging and an easily assembled display stand for said articles. The present invention securely holds the articles to be shipped and displayed within recesses in a tray portion of a container. The tray portion of the container is preferably composed of ethylene vinyl acetate and each tray is individually created for each order. The trays may hold a variety of different items, such as knives, bottles of wine, cheese, and the like. Whereas conventional manufacturer's packaging is suitable solely to ship objects to a given destination, the present invention also has an organized, aesthetically pleasing, and engaging configuration for holding the articles that makes it doubly suited as a display stand.

I claim: 
     
         1 ) A combination shipping and display device for merchandise, comprising:
 a container having an internal volume;   a tray having a surface;   said tray composed of foam material;   said tray occupying said container internal volume;   a plurality of slots disposed on said surface;   a lid that is affixable to said container over said surface.   
     
     
         2 ) The device of  claim 1 , wherein said tray foam material is ethylene-vinyl acetate. 
     
     
         3 ) The device of  claim 1 , wherein said slots further comprise thin, elongated slots adapted to securely receive a knife therein. 
     
     
         4 ) The device of  claim 1 , wherein said slots further comprise cylindrical, elongated slots adapted to securely receive a bottle therein. 
     
     
         5 ) The device of  claim 1 , wherein said slots have varying depths. 
     
     
         6 ) The device of  claim 1 , wherein said tray further comprises a thickened bottom portion disposed beneath said slots. 
     
     
         7 ) The device of  claim 6 , wherein said thickened bottom portion has varying thickness. 
     
     
         8 ) The device of  claim 1 , wherein said container is a gift basket. 
     
     
         9 ) The device of  claim 1 , wherein said slots are arranged concentrically on said surface. 
     
     
         10 ) The device of  claim 1 , wherein said slots further comprise thin, elongated slots adapted to securely receive a knife therein and cylindrical, elongated slots adapted to securely receive a bottle therein. 
     
     
         11 ) The device of  claim 10 , wherein said slots are arranged concentrically on said surface. 
     
     
         12 ) The device of  claim 10 , wherein said tray foam material is ethylene-vinyl acetate. 
     
     
         13 ) The device of  claim 11 , wherein said tray foam material is ethylene-vinyl acetate.