CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/755,532 filed Jan. 23, 2013; the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

1. Technical Field

The disclosure generally relates to merchandise storage containers and, more particularly, to fold up merchandise storage containers having belly bands. Specifically, the disclosure relates to a fold up merchandise storage container that provides band retaining tabs at the corners of the container for retaining a belly band around the container during use of the container.

2. Background Information

A popular addition to merchandise storage container is a belly band that wraps around the container. Although belly bands may be used with essentially any size or shaped container, a popular configuration combines a horizontally-disposed belly band with a merchandise storage container that is elongated in a vertical direction. One example of such a container is used to store and display protective phone cases. The companies that sell cell phone cases desire storage containers that attract attention to their products and differentiate their products from the competition. Some companies thus add belly bands around a central portion of the containers to help achieve these goals. Information may be presented on the front of the belly band. A belly band is usually not connected to the container body itself such that the band can slide up and down along the length of the container. The loose nature of the belly band is desirable. A problem with the use of a belly band is that the belly band can slip off the bottom of the containers as the container hang on a display or when customers handle the containers. The belly bands also can slip off the containers during transport. Those who wish to use belly bands with their products desire a way to retain the belly bands on the storage container while maintaining the character of the bands.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosure provides a merchandise storage container that includes belly band retaining tabs. The retaining tabs are moved to their extended positions when the merchandise storage container is formed. The retaining tabs are disposed at the corners of the container so that a belly band used with the container can slide up and down along the length of the container while encountering at least some resistance at the corners before the band separates from the container. The retaining tabs are flexible so that a person can intentionally remove a belly band by pivoting the tabs out of the way or by forcing the belly band over the tabs.

The disclosure provides a fold up storage container configuration wherein the belly band retaining tabs extend from the hinge walls that connect dust flaps to the sidewalls of the container. The bodies of the retaining tabs are cut from portions of the sidewalls. This material pivots outwardly away from the sidewall to define the retaining tabs when the dust flaps are bent away from the sidewalls.

In one configuration, the disclosure provides a six-sided, fold-up paperboard-based merchandise storage container that defines a storage chamber. The container includes belly band retaining tabs disposed at the corners of the container. The front and rear walls of the container are bowed outwardly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank for the container.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the exemplary container with a belly band disposed horizontally about the middle of the container.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of an upper corner of the container of FIG. 2 showing an extended band retaining tab.

Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the specification.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

The exemplary configuration of the container described herein is indicated generally by the numeral 2. The exemplary configuration of container 2 is a six-sided fold-up container formed from paperboard or polymer-based boards (or any other material that can be cut, scored, and folded into containers) and may be used with a variety of items of merchandise. The exemplary six-sided container 2 can be provided in a wide variety of widths, lengths, and depths. In other embodiments, container 2 is provided is different configurations such as seven-sided or eight-sided containers. Container 2 is designed to be used with belly bands 4 and provides retaining tabs 6 that are used to minimize the likelihood that belly band 4 will fall off of container 2.

In the exemplary configuration shown in the drawings, the front wall 10 and rear wall 12 are bowed outwardly. Bowing the walls outwardly is optional and the belly band retaining tabs 6 of the disclosure may be used with flat walls as well as bowed walls.

Container 2 includes front wall 10, rear wall 12, a pair of sidewalls 14, a top wall 16, and a bottom wall 18. A glue flap 20 extends from the edge 22 of rear wall 12 opposite the connection of rear wall 12 to sidewall 14. Glue flap 20 is adhered to the inner surface of sidewall 14 that is not already connected to rear wall 12 to define a four-sided generally rectangular tube.

In order to provide bowed front and rear walls, the upper and lower edges of the front 10 and rear 12 walls are curved such that the front and rear edges of the top 16 and bottom 18 walls are bowed outwardly when container 2 is formed. When top 16 and bottom 18 walls are folded to be generally perpendicular to front 10 and rear 12 walls, the curved edges bow the front 10 and rear 12 walls outwardly.

Locking flaps 22 extend from top 16 and bottom 18 walls at the edge of top and bottom wall opposite to the connections between top and bottom walls and front wall 10. Each locking flap 22 is connected to top 16 or bottom 18 wall along a fold line 24 that defines a slit 26 sized to receive a locking tab 28 that extends from rear wall 12.

Dust flaps 30 extend from the upper and lower ends 32 of sidewalls 14. Dust flaps 30 are folded perpendicular to sidewalls 14 and are positioned under top 16 and bottom 18 walls when container 2 is assembled. Dust flaps 30 stabilize container 2 and help to seal the corners of container 2 against dust. In this disclosure, dust flaps 30 also provide belly band retaining tabs 6 that limit the movement of belly band 4. Each retaining tab 6 is defined by or formed from a portion of an end 32 of a sidewall 14. Each retaining tab 6 is integrally formed with its adjacent dust flap 30 that is adjacent to that end of sidewall 14. Each dust flap 30 is connected to a sidewall 14 about a dust flap fold line 34. In use, dust flaps 30 are folded generally perpendicular to sidewalls 14 which causes retaining tabs 6 to move outwardly and stick out away from sidewalls 14. In the exemplary configuration, retaining tabs 6 are centrally-positioned with respect to dust flaps 30 and thus fold line 34 is divided into two spaced portions separated by the body of retaining tab 6. In other configurations, retaining tabs 6 may be disposed at the ends of fold lines 34 or multiple retaining tabs 6 may be defined along each fold line 34. Also in this configuration, each retaining tab 6 is defined by three slits in sidewall 14 which include two angled side cuts and a connecting cut. When dust flap 30 is bent along its dust flap fold line 34, retaining tab 6 moves with dust flap 30 about fold line 34 to its extended position. In other configurations, retaining tabs 6 may be scored or perforated so that they do not automatically move outwardly until the user decides to place them into use by breaking the perforations or cutting through the scoring.

Retaining tabs 6 may also be provided on the front and rear of container 2 by cutting tabs 6 out of the end portions of front 10 and rear 12 walls along fold lines 36.

The material for the panels of container may be paperboard or polymer-based board materials provided in a variety of thicknesses suitable for fold up packaging. A 0.014 inch WYN-PET is one exemplary material. Various outer surfaces of container 2 are free of interruptions to allow for printing.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. Moreover, the above description and attached illustrations are an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described. Throughout the description and claims of this specification the words â€œcompriseâ€ and â€œincludeâ€ as well as variations of those words, such as â€œcomprises,â€ â€œincludes,â€ â€œcomprising,â€ and â€œincludingâ€ are not intended to exclude additives, components, integers, or steps.