Foldable Shipping and Display Box

Abstract

A shipping container is reversibly transformed between (1) a closed shipping configuration, and (2) an oblique display configuration capable of laying on a flat or inclined surface, standing on a surface and being hung from a vertical surface such as a wall.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A container configurable for disposition on a supporting surface as an open display configuration and configurable as a closed shipping configuration comprising:
 a rectangular fame having four side walls in opposing pairs, an opening, and a bottom; and   two wings extending from two opposing sides of the rectangular frame bottom of the rectangular frame, which two wings fold toward the opening to close the opening of the rectangular frame to form the closed shipping container, and which two wings fold toward the bottom of the rectangular frame to form a platform to lift the rectangular frame above the supporting surface when functioning in the open display configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , where the wings fold along score lines to converge below the bottom of the rectangular frame. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 2 , where the score lines are diagonal to the side walls to enable the folded wings below the rectangular frame to lift the display configuration at an oblique angle from the resting surface. 
     
     
         4 . The contain of  claim 1 , where the oblique angle is between 1 to 90 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 4 , where the two wings are structured so that when configured in the open display configuration the two wings are used in a manner independently of whether the supporting surface is horizontal, inclined or vertical. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 4 , where the resting posture of the container can be elected from resting on the wings below the oblique rectangular frame, standing on the edge of the backward-folded wings to erect an oblique shelf. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising selection from a plurality of mounting mechanisms along one of the wings to assist in attaching the backwardly-folded wing to the supporting surface. 
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising an opening along one of the side walls for easy access of the contained materials. 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 7 , where the opening is of a rectangular shape. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 8 , where the opening runs perpendicular to the rectangular frame bottom surface. 
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 3 , further comprising an opening along one of the side walls for easy access of the contained materials. 
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 10 , where the opening is of rectangular shape. 
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 11 , where the opening runs perpendicular to he rectangular frame bottom surface. 
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 5 , further comprising an opening along one of the side walls for easy access of the contained materials. 
     
     
         15 . The container of  claim 13 , where the opening is of a rectangular shape. 
     
     
         16 . The container of  claim 14 , where the opening runs perpendicular to the rectangular frame bottom surface. 
     
     
         17 . A container to be placed on a supporting surface comprising:
 a rectangular frame having four side walls defining an open top and a bottom;   two wings extending from two opposing side walls of the rectangular frame, which two wings fold over the open top to converge and close the open top of the rectangular frame to form a closed shipping configuration of the container, where the two wings fold backwards along diagonal score lines defined in the two wings to converge below the bottom of the rectangular frame to lift the rectangular frame at an oblique angle from the supporting surface when operating in an open display configuration of the container;   a mounting mechanism for attaching the backwardly-folded wings to the supporting surface; and   an opening along one of the side walls for easy access of the contained materials.   
     
     
         18 . An improvement in a method for reversible transformation of a box from a shipping configuration into a display configuration comprising employing opposing foldable wings extending from opposing sides of the base of an open rectangular frame to fold towards the open rectangular frame to dose the box into a shipping configuration, where the wings fold towards the bottom of the open rectangular frame to raise the rectangular frame in a display configuration and where said open rectangular frame comprises four side walls in opposing pairs, an opening, and a bottom. 
     
     
         19 . The improvement of  claim 18 , comprising:
 folding the foldable wings extending from opposing sides of the rectangular frame along score lines to converge towards the open rectangular frame to close the box into the shipping configuration.   
     
     
         20 . The improvement of  claim 18 , comprising:
 folding the foldable wings extending from opposing side of the rectangular frame along score lines to converge towards the bottom of the rectangular frame to lift the box into the display configuration.