Tornado display

Abstract

A blank of material to be folded into a product display container is disclosed. The blank is substantially rectangular in shape and has a first edge, a second edge opposite of the first edge, a third edge disposed adjacent to the first edge and the second edge and a fourth edge disposed opposite the third edge. The blank comprises a tab disposed adjacent to the fourth edge; a plurality of perpendicular folds, wherein each perpendicular fold extends across the width of the blank and is disposed substantially perpendicular to the first edge and the second edge; and a plurality of angular folds, wherein each angular fold extends across the width of the blank and is disposed at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to the first edge and the second edge. The blank is utilized to make a tornado shaped product display.

Claims

1. A blank of material to be folded into a product display container a) wherein said blank is substantially rectangular in shape having a first edge, a second edge opposite of said first edge, a third edge disposed adjacent to said first edge and said second edge and a fourth edge disposed opposite said third edge; i) wherein said first edge and said second edge extend along a length of said blank; ii) wherein said third edge and said fourth edge extend along a width of said blank; b) said blank comprising i) a tab disposed adjacent to said fourth edge; ii) a first surface and a second surface disposed on an opposite side from said first surface; iii) a plurality of perpendicular folds, wherein each perpendicular fold extends across said width of said blank for an entire distance from said first edge to said second edge and is disposed substantially perpendicular to said first edge and said second edge; iv) a plurality of angular folds, wherein each angular fold extends across said width of said blank for an entire distance from said first edge to said second edge and is disposed at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to said first edge and said second edge; v) wherein a first end of each angular fold is disposed at a first end of a first respective perpendicular fold along said first edge; vi) wherein a second end of each of said angular folds is disposed at a second end of a second respective perpendicular fold along said second edge; vii) wherein each of said angular folds project outward from said first surface; and viii) wherein each of said perpendicular folds project outward from said second surface.

2. The blank as in claim 1 further comprising four angular folds.

3. The blank as in claim 2 further comprising four perpendicular folds.

4. The blank as in claim 3 further comprising one or more apertures.

5. The blank as in claim 3 wherein said blank is formed from cardboard.

6. The blank as in claim 1 further comprising four perpendicular folds.

7. The blank as in claim 1 further comprising one or more apertures.

8. The blank as in claim 1 wherein said blank is formed from cardboard.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Various exemplary embodiments of this invention will be described in detail, wherein like reference numerals refer to identical or similar components, with reference to the following figures, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a blank of the product display;

(3) FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the product display; and

(4) FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the product display.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(5) The claimed subject matter is now described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the claimed subject matter. It may be evident, however, that the claimed subject matter may be practiced with or without any combination of these specific details, without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention and the claims.

(6) The invention is directed toward a foldable blank for a product display and a folded product display. Referring to FIG. 1, the preferred embodiment of the display blank 10 is illustrated. The display blank 10 may be made from any material. In the preferred embodiment the display blank 10 is composed of cardboard. In other embodiments, the display blank 10 is made from a thermoplastic material, metal, paper, or any other commercially available structural material. In the preferred embodiment the display blank 10 is an elongate rectangular sheet of thin material which can be folded into the specific shape of the product display. The display blank 10 may be any size, thickness, length, width, or shape.

(7) In the preferred embodiment the display blank 10 has a plurality of plurality of upper triangles 12. The upper triangles 12 may be any size or shape. The preferred embodiment also has a plurality of lower triangles 14. The lower triangles 14 may be any size or shape. In one portion of the display blank 10, the upper triangle 12 is connected to the lower triangle 14 by a shared hypotenuse 16. The shared hypotenuse 16 may be a fold point in the material. In another embodiment the shared hypotenuse 16 is a perforation in the material. The shared hypotenuse 16 is at a predetermined angle to the width of the display blank 10. Each hypotenuse 16 may be at a separate predetermined angle to the width of the display blank 10. In the preferred embodiment each hypotenuse 16 is at the same predetermined angle.

(8) In another portion the of the display blank 10, the lower triangle 14 is connected to a second upper triangle 12 by a shared side 20. The shared side 20 is parallel to the width of the display blank 10. The shared side 20 may be a fold in the material. In another embodiment the shared side 20 is a perforation in the material.

(9) At one end of the display blank 10 is a tab 18. The tab 18 may be any size and shape. In other embodiments there are a plurality of tabs 18. The tab 18 is utilized to permit the display blank 10 to be folded into a three-dimensional shape. In the three-dimensional shape the tab 18 is glued to the opposite end of the display blank 10. The tab 18 may be secured to the opposite end of the display blank 10 in any manner of known means, such as glue, staples, tape, ultrasonic welding, heat sealing, or any other commercially available means.

(10) In the preferred embodiment the display blank 10 has four upper triangles 12 and four lower triangles 14. In other embodiments there may be any number of upper triangles 12 and lower triangles 14. The number of upper triangles 12 and lower triangles 14 determines the ultimate number of sides of the folded product display.

(11) Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the folded, three-dimensional configuration of the product display is illustrated. In the folded, three-dimensional configuration the product display has inner diagonal lines formed by each hypotenuse 16. The inner diagonal lines formed by each hypotenuse 16 extend laterally into the body of the display. The product display has outer diagonal extensions formed by the shared sides 20. The outer diagonal extensions formed by the shared sides 20 extend laterally outward from the body of the display.

(12) The product display has a lower pyramid shape to provide a standing base for the product display. The product display has an upper inverted pyramid shape to hold the selected product. The product display has an internal holding portion 30 which is utilized to hold any chosen product. In the preferred embodiment, the product display is utilized to hold loose material. In other embodiments products may be in specialized shape boxes to complement the shape of the product display.

(13) In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the top of the product display has a square cross sectional shape. The bottom end of the product display also has a square cross sectional shape. In the folded configuration, a corner of the top square is connected to the corner of the bottom square that is rotated ninety degrees from the corner of the top square by the outer diagonal extension formed by a shared side 20. The same corner of the top square is also connected to the corner of the bottom square that is rotated one hundred eighty degrees from the corner of the top square by the inner diagonal line formed by a hypotenuse 16.

(14) In some embodiments of the invention any upper triangle 12 and any lower triangle 14 may have sections cut out from the middle, thereby creating a hole through which materials and products may be inserted or withdrawn from the product display.

(15) In the preferred embodiment there are four upper triangles 12 and four lower triangles 14. The number of upper triangles 12 and lower triangles 14 determine the number of sides of the folded product display. In the preferred embodiment the product display has a square cross section. In other embodiments the blank may have more than four upper triangles 12 and more than four lower triangles 14. The additional upper triangles 12 and lower triangles 14 changes the cross sectional shape of the product display such that the cross sectional shape may be any polyhedron shape.

(16) What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art can recognize that many further combinations and permutations of such matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term includes is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term comprising as comprising is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

(17) The foregoing method descriptions and the process flow diagrams are provided merely as illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that the steps of the various embodiments must be performed in the order presented. As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art the order of steps in the foregoing embodiments may be performed in any order. Words such as thereafter, then, next, etc. are not intended to limit the order of the steps; these words are simply used to guide the reader through the description of the methods. Further, any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles a, an or the is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.

(18) The preceding description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the following claims and the principles and novel features disclosed herein.