Shipping and display container and blank for forming same

Abstract

A container formed from a blank of sheet material includes, in an exemplary embodiment, opposing side walls, a front end wall, a back end wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall. An opening lip extends from a portion of the bottom of the front wall. Perforation lines extend diagonally from each end of the lip. Each perforation line extends to a side wall. Each side wall includes a perforation line extending from one of the front wall perforation lines to the upper corner of the sidewall adjacent the back end wall. Access holes are located in each side wall adjacent to the side wall perforation line. Another perforation line extends the width of the back end wall and intersects each of the perforation lines of the side walls.

1 - 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A blank of sheet material for forming a container, the blank having a thickness, the blank comprising:
 a front end panel, a first side panel, a second side panel, and a back end panel connected by a plurality of side fold lines, the second side panel extending at least partially from a side edge of the front end panel, the front end panel including a top edge and a bottom edge that are each substantially perpendicular to the side edge;   the front end panel including a lip extending beyond the side edge of the front end panel to a free edge, the lip being adjacent to the second side panel, the lip having two opposite ends, a first end of the two opposite ends of the lip being a distance from the top edge of the front end panel, a second end of the two opposite ends of the lip being a distance from the bottom edge of the front end panel, wherein the free edge of the lip is defined by a first cut line extending from the side edge of the front end panel into the second side panel by at least the thickness of the blank such that upon articulation of the blank into the container, the lip is disposed in a first plane substantially parallel to the front end panel and extends at least to a second plane substantially parallel to an outer surface of the second side panel;   a first separation line extending from the first end of the lip toward the top edge of the front end panel; and   a second separation line extending from the second end of the lip toward the bottom edge of the front end panel.   
     
     
         31 . The blank according to  claim 30 , wherein the lip, upon articulation of the blank into a container, extends to a position that is beyond the second plane. 
     
     
         32 . The blank according to  claim 30 , further comprising:
 a front top panel extending at least partially from the top edge of the front end panel;   a front bottom panel extending at least partially from the bottom edge of the front end panel;   a third separation line extending from the first separation line through the front top panel; and   a fourth separation line extending from the second separation line through the front bottom panel.   
     
     
         33 . The blank according to  claim 30 , wherein the cut line extends into the second side panel by more than the thickness of the blank. 
     
     
         34 . The blank according to  claim 30 , further comprising:
 a front top panel extending at least partially from the top edge of the front end panel;   a front bottom panel extending at least partially from the bottom edge of the front end panel;   a second cut line extending from the first separation line to the front top panel; and   a third cut line extending from the second separation line to the front bottom panel.   
     
     
         35 . The blank according to  claim 34 , further comprising:
 a top edge separation line extending from the second cut line along the top edge of the front end panel; and   a bottom edge separation line extending from the third cut line along the bottom edge of the front end panel.   
     
     
         36 . The blank according to  claim 35 , further comprising a pair of first side panel separation lines extending through the first side panel from the top edge separation line and the bottom edge separation line, respectively. 
     
     
         37 . The blank according to  claim 30 , further comprising at least one knockout tab, disposed in one of the front end panel, the first and second side panels, and the back end panel, remote from the lip. 
     
     
         38 . The blank according to  claim 37  further comprising a cutaway positioned proximate the knock-out tab. 
     
     
         39 . The blank according to  claim 30 , further comprising a second lip extending from the back end panel. 
     
     
         40 . A shipping container convertible to a display container, formed from a blank of sheet material, the blank having a thickness, the blank comprising:
 a front end panel, a first side panel, a second side panel, and a back end panel connected by a plurality of side fold lines, the second side panel extending at least partially from a side edge of the front end panel, the front end panel including a top edge and a bottom edge that are each substantially perpendicular to the side edge;   the front end panel including a lip extending beyond the side edge of the front end panel to a free edge, the lip being adjacent to the second side panel, the lip having two opposite ends, a first end of the two opposite ends of the lip being a distance from the top edge of the front end panel, a second end of the two opposite ends of the lip being a distance from the bottom edge of the front end panel, wherein the free edge of the lip is defined by a first cut line extending from the side edge of the front end panel into the second side panel by at least the thickness of the blank such that upon articulation of the blank into the shipping container, the lip is disposed in a first plane substantially parallel to the front end panel and extends at least to a second plane substantially parallel to an outer surface of the second side panel;   a first separation line extending from the first end of the lip toward the top edge of the front end panel; and   a second separation line extending from the second end of the lip toward the bottom edge of the front end panel.   
     
     
         41 . The shipping container according to  claim 40 , wherein the lip extends to a position that is beyond the second plane. 
     
     
         42 . The shipping container according to  claim 40 , wherein the blank further comprises:
 a front top panel extending at least partially from the top edge of the front end panel;   a front bottom panel extending at least partially from the bottom edge of the front end panel;   a third separation line extending from the first separation line through the front top panel; and   a fourth separation line extending from the second separation line through the front bottom panel.   
     
     
         43 . The shipping container according to  claim 40 , wherein the cut line extends into the second side panel by more than the thickness of the blank. 
     
     
         44 . The shipping container according to  claim 40 , wherein the blank further comprises:
 a front top panel extending at least partially from the top edge of the front end panel;   a front bottom panel extending at least partially from the bottom edge of the front end panel;   a second cut line extending from the first separation line to the front top panel; and   a third cut line extending from the second separation line to the front bottom panel.   
     
     
         45 . The shipping container according to  claim 44 , wherein the blank further comprises:
 a top edge separation line extending from the second cut line along the top edge of the front end panel; and   a bottom edge separation line extending from the third cut line along the bottom edge of the front end panel.   
     
     
         46 . The shipping container according to  claim 45 , wherein the blank further comprises a pair of first side panel separation lines extending through the first side panel from the top edge separation line and the bottom edge separation line, respectively. 
     
     
         47 . The shipping container according to  claim 40 , wherein the blank further comprises at least one knockout tab, disposed in one of the front end panel, the first and second side panels, and the back end panel, remote from the lip. 
     
     
         48 . The shipping container according to  claim 47 , wherein the blank further comprises a cutaway positioned proximate the knock-out tab. 
     
     
         49 . The shipping container according to  claim 40 , wherein the blank further comprises a second lip extending from the back end panel. 
     
     
         50 . A shipping container convertible to a display container, the shipping container comprising:
 a first side wall, a front end wall, a second side wall emanating at least partially from a side edge of the front end wall, and a back end wall, the front end wall including a top edge and a bottom edge that are each substantially perpendicular to the side edge;   the front end wall including a lip extending beyond the side edge of the front end wall to a free edge, the lip being adjacent to the second side wall, the lip having two opposite ends, a first end of the two opposite ends of the lip being a distance from the top edge of the front end wall, a second end of the two opposite ends of the lip being a distance from the bottom edge of the front end wall, wherein the lip is disposed in a first plane substantially parallel to the front end wall and extends at least to a second plane substantially parallel to an outer surface of the second side wall;   a first separation line extending from the first end of the lip toward the top edge of the front end wall; and   a second separation line extending from the second end of the lip toward the bottom edge of the front end wall.   
     
     
         51 . The shipping container according to  claim 50 , wherein the lip is formed by a cut extending from the front end wall side edge into the second side wall. 
     
     
         52 . The shipping container according to  claim 50 , wherein the lip extends to a position that is beyond the second plane.