Ship-to-display-container

Abstract

A shipping container and display system is provided, including an inner and an outer box, and first and second trays. The outer box is telescopically slidable over the inner box. The trays are slidable within the inner box. The first tray is stackable on top of the second tray. First and second two-part dividers are provided, each having partitioned walls, each divider having a side-by-side configuration and a stacked configuration. In a shipping configuration, the dividers are disposed in the side-by-side configuration in the trays, the trays are stacked and disposed in the inner box, and the outer box is disposed over the inner box to form a shipping container. In a display configuration, the inner and outer boxes are disposed top down, the dividers are disposed in stacked configurations in the interior of the boxes, and the trays are disposed on and supported by the dividers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A shipping container and display system, the system having a shipping configuration and a display configuration, the system comprising:
 (a) an inner box and an outer box, each having a closed top, an open interior, and an open bottom;   (b) a first and a second tray, each tray having an open interior, and an open top;   (c) wherein the outer box is telescopically slidable over the inner box;   (d) wherein the trays are slidable within the inner box, and wherein the first tray is stackable on top of the second tray;   (e) a first two-part divider having partitioned walls, and having a side-by-side configuration sized to fill the open interior of the first tray, and a stacked configuration; and   (f) a second two-part divider having partitioned walls, and having a side-by-side configuration sized to fill the open interior of the second tray, and a stacked configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The shipping container and display system of  claim 1 , wherein in the shipping configuration, the first two-part divider is disposed in the side-by-side configuration in the first tray, the second two-part divider is disposed in the side-by-side configuration in the second tray, the second tray is stacked on the first tray to form a stacked tray and divider assembly, the stacked tray and divider assembly is disposed in the inner box, and the outer box is disposed over the inner box to form a shipping container; and wherein in the display configuration, the inner box is disposed with its top down, the outer box is disposed with its top down, the first two-part divider is disposed in its stacked configuration in the open interior of the inner box, the second two-part divider is disposed in its stacked configuration in the open interior of the outer box, the first tray is disposed on and supported by the stacked first two-part divider, and the second tray is disposed and supported by the stacked second two-part divider. 
     
     
         3 . The shipping container and display system of  claim 1 , wherein in the display configuration, the inner box is attached to the outer box by at least one fastener. 
     
     
         4 . The shipping container and display system of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one fastener comprises a folded portion of the inner box connected to a folded portion of the outer box. 
     
     
         5 . A shipping container and display system for plants or flowers, the system having a shipping configuration and a display configuration, the system comprising:
 (a) an inner box having a closed top, a plurality of sides each having an outer surface and an inner surface, an open interior, an open bottom, and a height, the outer surfaces of the sides bounding an outer cross-sectional area, the inner surfaces of the sides bounding an inner cross-sectional area;   (b) an outer box having a closed top, a plurality of sides each having an outer surface and an inner surface, an open interior, an open bottom, and a height, the inner surfaces of the sides bounding an inner cross-sectional area, the height of the outer box being substantially the same as the height of the inner box;   (c) a first and a second tray, each tray having a closed bottom, a plurality of sides each having an outer surface and an inner surface, an open interior, an open top, and an overall height, the outer surfaces of the sides bounding an outer cross-sectional area, the height being generally one half the height of the height of the inner box;   (d) wherein the outer cross-sectional area of the inner box is smaller than the inner cross-sectional area of the outer box such that the outer box is telescopically slidable over the inner box;   (e) wherein the outer cross-sectional areas of the trays are smaller than the inner cross-sectional area of the inner box such that the trays are slidable within the inner box, and wherein the first tray is stackable on top of the second tray;   (f) a first two-part divider having a side-by-side configuration sized to fill the open interior of the first tray and having a matrix of divisions, each division adopted to receive a plant or flower unit, and a stacked configuration;   (g) a second two-part divider having a side-by-side configuration sized to fill the open interior of the second tray and having a matrix of divisions, each division adopted to receive a plant or flower unit, and a stacked configuration;   wherein, in the shipping configuration, the first two-part divider is disposed in the side-by-side configuration in the first tray, the second two-part divider is disposed in the side-by-side configuration in the second tray, the second tray is stacked on the first tray to form a stacked tray and divider assembly, the stacked tray and divider assembly is disposed in the inner box, and the outer box is disposed over the inner box to form a shipping container; and   wherein, in the display configuration, the inner box is disposed with its top down, the outer box is disposed with its top down, the first two-part divider is disposed in its stacked configuration in the open interior of the inner box, the second two-part divider is disposed in its stacked configuration in the open interior of the outer box, the first tray is disposed on and supported by the stacked first two-part divider, and the second tray is disposed and supported by the stacked second two-part divider.   
     
     
         6 . The shipping container and display system of  claim 5 , wherein in the display configuration, the inner box is attached to the outer box by at least one fastener. 
     
     
         7 . The shipping container and display system of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one fastener comprises a folded portion of the inner box connected to a folded portion of the outer box.