Merchandise shipping and display container

Abstract

A shipping container having a housing for holding merchandise and having a top that may be opened to allow access to the inside of the housing. A topper contained within the housing is positioned within the housing to present a surface when the lid is opened. A device coupled to the topper is operable to lift the topper and reveal merchandise contained in the housing. The device operable to lift the topper may be a tab, notch or other mechanism coupled to the topper so as to allow the topper to be rotated, slid or lifted away to reveal the merchandise. The surface of the topper preferably has a receptacle for releasably holding information about the merchandise. The shipping container provides a pleasant and upscale experience to the buyer and may be used as a display container for the merchandise.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A shipping container comprising:
 a housing having a top that may be opened;   a topper contained within the housing and positioned within the housing to present a surface when the top is opened; and,   a device for moving the topper to reveal merchandise contained in the housing.   
     
     
         2 . The shipping container of  claim 1 , wherein the surface of the topper further comprises a receptacle for presenting information. 
     
     
         3 . The shipping container of  claim 1 , wherein the pull device for removing the topper is a strap coupled to the topper for gripping and removing the topper from the container. 
     
     
         4 . The shipping container of  claim 1 , wherein the topper comprises more than one layer of material. 
     
     
         5 . The shipping container of  claim 1 , wherein the top is hingedly coupled to the housing, and where the topper is hingedly coupled to a different portion of the housing, and where the topper comprises more than one layer, and where the surface of the topper comprises at least one receptacle for presenting merchandise, and where the pull device for removing the topper comprises a strap removably coupled to the topper for gripping and pivoting away the topper from the housing. 
     
     
         6 . The shipping container of  claim 1 , wherein the topper comprises one or more die-cut portions. 
     
     
         7 . The shipping container of  claim 1 , wherein the topper comprises an adjustment portion for lowering the topper surface relative to the housing. 
     
     
         8 . The shipping container of  claim 1 , wherein the shipping container comprises a single sheet of specifically folded material. 
     
     
         9 . A shipping container comprising:
 a housing;   a top removably coupled to the housing; and,   a topper contained within the housing and positioned within the housing to present a surface when the top is opened.   
     
     
         10 . The shipping container of  claim 9 , wherein a pull device is coupled to the topper. 
     
     
         11 . The shipping container of  claim 10 , wherein the pull device comprises a strap removably coupled to the topper. 
     
     
         12 . The shipping container of  claim 9 , wherein the topper further comprises an adjustment portion for raising or lowering the topper within the housing. 
     
     
         13 . The shipping container of  claim 9 , wherein the top is hingedly coupled to the housing, and further where the topper is hingedly coupled to a different portion of the housing. 
     
     
         14 . The shipping container of  claim 13 , wherein the surface of the topper further comprises at least one receptacle, and further where the receptacle comprises one or more reliefs at the edges of the receptacle. 
     
     
         15 . The shipping container of  claim 13 , wherein the topper comprises more than one layer, and where the pull device comprises a strap coupled to at least one layer, and further where the pull device pivots the topper about a hinged portion. 
     
     
         16 . The shipping container of  claim 9 , wherein the shipping container comprises a single sheet of specifically folded material. 
     
     
         17 . A merchandise container suitable for displaying and shipping merchandise, while providing a pleasant and upscale experience to a buyer, comprising:
 a housing having a top that may be opened, the top hingedly coupled to the housing;   a topper removably contained within the housing and hingedly coupled to the housing at a point opposite the point at which the lid is hingedly coupled to the housing, the topper further positioned within the housing where the topper present a surface when the top is opened, the surface comprising:   at least one die-cut portion through a first layer in the topper, the die-cut portion further comprising a receptacle; and,   a pull device for removing the topper, the device comprising a loop removably coupled at one end to the topper.   
     
     
         18 . The shipping container of  claim 17 , wherein the surface further comprises a space for marketing material. 
     
     
         19 . The shipping container of  claim 17 , wherein the shipping container comprises a single sheet of specifically folded material. 
     
     
         20 . The shipping container of  claim 19 , wherein the specifically folded material comprises cardboard.