Patent Application
20110132779
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a unique package having two components, a first component is an outer shell or sleeve with foldable flaps, and a second component is a tray configured with ridges designed to lockingly engage free ends of the sleeve flaps, thereby locking the package in a closed state and preventing the tray from easily being removed from the outer sleeve.
2. Description of Related Art
It is common practice for industrial parts manufacturers, medical device, pharmaceutical, food industry, and other such companies to use various containers or packages to package articles, products and food stuff intended to be sold or delivered to consumers. Typically, such packages are of a simple and relatively inexpensive construction, but which include an obstacle to opening the package that deters or prevents theft. Attempts have been made to provide a package that contains sufficient impediments to deter theft of the contents without rendering the articles or products contained therein inaccessible. However, the mechanism serving as the obstacle to opening the package typically has a complicated design, which has increased the expense of production without providing a corresponding improvement in deterring theft.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,761,010 to Rosenburg, Jr. (hereinafter Rosenburg) discloses a safety carton having a tray 10 that slides into a sleeve 20. A bottom wall panel 26 of the sleeve has an opening 30 defined between abutment pieces 32, 33. When assembled, the sleeve 20 has a first, larger aperture 31 defined therein overlapping a second, smaller aperture 30 defined therein. As shown in FIG. 4 of Rosenburg, a lower surface of the tray 10 is received within the first aperture 31 defined in the sleeve 20 such that the edges of the tray 10 are engaged by the edges of the abutment pieces 32, 33 and prevent the tray 10 from being withdrawn from the sleeve 20.
As shown in FIG. 5 of Rosenburg, to disengage or unlock the tray 10 from the abutment edges 32, 33 of the sleeve 20, a consumer bends one of the abutment pieces 32 or 33 as well as overlapping panel 22 downward while pushing the tray 10 upward through the openings 30, 31. The edge of the tray 10 is disengaged from the edge of the piece 32 or 33, thereby permitting the tray 10 be slidingly removed from the sleeve 20. The locking mechanism for the Rosenburg carton is limited to a single side, or bottom, and is therefore susceptible to being compromised by small children without much effort.
In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,093 to Carmichael et al. (hereinafter Carmichael) disclose a package 10 having a sleeve 14 defined by open top and bottom ends. As shown in FIG. 6 of Carmichael, retaining flaps 24 abut or engage a lid 30 of a lowermost package 12c at an underneath position. An edge of the flaps 24 engages a downwardly facing edge 37 of the lid flange 30 and the corner 38 of the package 12c wall 32. As such, the edges of the flaps 24 engaging the flange 36 prevent the lowermost package 12c from falling out of the open bottom end of the sleeve 14. While the flaps 24 prevent the package 12c from being removed from the bottom of the package 10, a simple retainer 26 formed by overlapping flaps 46a, 46b defines a closed upper end 22. Simply pushing packages 12a-12c upward would appear to rupture the retainer 26 and provide access thereto.
In yet another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,890 to Mahler discloses jacket 10, 10′ for holding or storing a compact disc therein that has an interior space 14 in which a tray 60 is inserted. End flaps 34, 38 and 45, 45 are folded into the space 14 along fold lines 36, 40. When the tray 60 is withdrawn from the sleeve 10, 10′, the edges 48, 52 of the flaps 34, 38 and 45, 45 engage the rims 68, 74 of the tray 60, providing access to the contents of the tray 60 while preventing the tray 60 from being completely pulled out of the sleeve 10, 10′.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,296 to Trauschke discloses a sleeve 10 open at both ends 18 with a window provided in a side wall to provide a view to the products contained in the sleeve 10. Flaring right and left lips 20 and 22 are folded into an interior space of the sleeve 10 to permit packages to be loaded into the sleeve 10. The inner edges of the lips 20, 22 catch on the packages being withdrawn, and act as a latch to prevent the removal of the packages from the sleeve 10. The lips 20, 22 are readily compressed to release the enclosed package therefrom.
In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,881 to Dutscher discloses a display carton having a plastic tray A that is inserted into a paperboard sleeve B. As shown in FIGS. 1-3 and 5 of Dutscher, the tray A has side walls 11 and end walls 12 with flanges provided at their lowermost edge. Abutments 32 of the side panels 24, 24 engage flared lower ends 13, 13 of the walls 11 and 12 to lock the tray A in the sleeve B.
In a further example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,334,734 to Meyers discloses a package having a cover 2 that has tray engaging side flaps 9 and end flaps 10. The cover 2 has openings 3, 3 defined in an upper surface. A flange 14 of the tray 11 engages the edges of the flaps 9, 10, thereby preventing the tray 11 from being removed from the cover 2.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,680 to Hiemstra discloses an open ended sleeve 1 with flaps 6 bent into the interior space of the sleeve 1 from both ends of the sleeve. The edges of the flaps 6 engage flanges 3 of blister packs 4 inserted into the sleeve 1, thereby preventing the blister packs 4 from falling out of the sleeve 1.
It is an aspect of this invention to provide a package having a slidable tray, clamshell shaped or other closed container that is lockingly engaged by an outer sleeve.
Another aspect of this invention is to provide a unique package that provides an outer sleeve having at least one open end, wherein a locking assembly is provided at the at least one open end and prevents removal of the tray, clamshell shaped container, or other similarly closed container therethrough. That is, if the outer sleeve has two open ends, then it is an aspect of this invention to provide a locking assembly at each open end.
Yet another aspect of this invention is to provide a package having a locking assembly that releasably engages a ridge defined at a transition region of different sized portions of the tray, clamshell shaped container, or other similarly closed container.
The package includes a first component that is an outer sleeve, which can be tubular in shaped, and includes opposing top and bottom panels, and opposing left and right side panels connecting the top and bottom panels. It should be noted that the geometric shape of the package is in no way limited to tubular as it is within the scope of the invention for the sleeve to be circular, oval, triangular, pentagon, trapezoidal or any other suitable geometric configuration. It should be noted that the inner container, e.g., tray, clamshell shaped container, or other similarly closed container, is also envisioned as having a similar or other configuration that is suitable and lockingly function with the locking assembly of the outer sleeve. Moreover, as noted above, at least one end of the sleeve is open. Further, as note above, the inner container has been referred to as a tray, clamshell shaped container or other similarly closed container. Hereinafter, the inner container will be referred to as a tray for the sake of simplicity, but it should be noted that the terms clamshell shaped container or closed container should be considered interchangeable with the term tray and that the geometric configuration of the inner container, i.e., the tray, is strictly for illustrative purposes and in no way is intended to limit the shape and/or size of the inner container as the inner container may be configured to any suitable shape.
The package also includes a second component that is a tray which is slidable into and out of the sleeve. The tray includes a first portion joined to a second portion, wherein at least one of a height and a width of the first portion is less than a corresponding height and width of the second portion. A difference between one of the height and the width of the first portion and the corresponding height and width of the second portion defines a ridge that is releasably engaged by a locking assembly formed at the open end of the sleeve.
The left side panel, top panel and right side panel of the sleeve each include a locking tab extending into an interior space of the sleeve. A free end of each locking tab opposes the ridge of the tray. The free ends of the corresponding locking tabs define the locking assembly.
Other objects and features of this invention will be better understood from the following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring to
In the exemplary embodiment wherein the sleeve is rectangular, the outer sleeve 20 may include a top or upper panel 22 separated from a bottom or lower panel 24 by a pair of opposing left and right side panels 23a, 23b. A seal panel 25 extends from a side of the bottom panel 24 that is opposite the side of the bottom panel 24 from which the left side panel 23a extends. As shown in
Alternatively, the top panel 22 may include an aperture or window W defined therein to permit a visual inspection of the contents of the package 10 therethrough. Moreover, it is within the scope of the invention for a material, either transparent or opaque in nature, to span the window W if necessary for the intended use of the package 10. Furthermore, it is within the scope of the present invention wherein the bottom panel 24 may include a support panel 26 to enhance the strength or provide additional support to the bottom panel 24 to secure an item within the package 10. The optional support panel 26 may also include graphic or other similar indicia thereon providing information with regards to the contents of the package 10.
It should be noted that it is within the scope of the present invention for the seal panel 25 to sealingly engage the right panel 23b in any known, suitable manner, such as by an adhesive, ultrasonic welding, epoxy or any other manner that is conventional in the industry. Moreover, the dimensional configuration of the seal panel 25 shown in
In an alternate embodiment, and one that is illustrated in the drawings, it is within the scope of the present invention for the package to possibly include a closure assembly when both ends of the package are not open ends. For example, an upper or first end of the bottom panel 24 and side panels 23a and 23b may include tabs that define a closure assembly 30. The closure assembly 30 may includes a left side panel closure tab 33a extending from a first end of the left side panel 23a, a right side panel closure tab 33b extending from a first end of the right side panel 23b, and a bottom panel closure tab 34 extending from a first end of the bottom panel 24, wherein a tongue 34a may extend from a free end of the bottom panel closure tab 34. As shown in
Looking at
To assemble the outer sleeve, the bottom panel 24 can be folded over a first edge of the left side panel 23a, and the bottom panel 24 and left side panel 23a can be folded over a first edge of the top panel 22. The right side panel 23b may then be folded over a second edge of the top panel 22, the second edge opposing the first edge. If provided, the seal panel 25 may be folded onto and joined to the right side panel 23b in any conventionally known manner. Alternatively, the free edge of the bottom panel 24, which is defined or formed when the seal panel 25 is not provided, is then joined or attached to a free edge of the rights side panel 23b to form a tubular, partially assembled outer sleeve 20. See
As shown in
The tray 50 may be formed from a transparent material, as shown in
Looking at
As shown in
It should be noted that it within the scope of the invention for the bottom closure tab 34 to be adhered or otherwise affixed to the left and right side closure tabs 33a and 33b in any suitable manner that is conventional in the industry, such as by an adhesive, tape, epoxy, ultrasonic welding, and the like. Alternatively, the closure assembly may maintain the subject end of the outer sleeve in a closed state simply be securely retaining the tongue 34a in the gap defined between the top panel 22 and left and right side closure tabs 33a and 33b.
More specifically, looking at
Similarly, looking at
Accordingly, the free end 44a of the left side panel locking tab 43a engaging the left side ridge 53 of the tray 50 or distanced therefrom a nominal distance to prevent removal of the tray 50 through the open end 60 of the outer sleeve 20; and/or the free end 42a of the top panel locking tab 42 engaging the upper ridge 54 of the tray 50 or distanced therefrom a nominal distance to prevent removal of the tray 50 through the open end 60 of the outer sleeve; and/or the free end 44b of the right side panel locking tab 43b engaging the right side ridge 54 of the tray 50 or distanced therefrom a nominal distance to prevent removal of the tray 50 through the open end 60 of the outer sleeve 20 effectively locks the tray 50 within the outer sleeve 20 of the package 10.
To remove the tray 50 from the sleeve 20, an individual can open or disengage the closure tabs 33a, 33b and 34 of the closure assembly 30 defined at the closed end of the package 10 in a conventional manner. Alternatively, if the individual desires to remove the tray 50 from the open end 60, the individual can insert a thin object into the open end 60 of the outer sleeve 20 and disengage the free ends 42a and/or 44a and/or 44b of the locking tabs 42, 43a and 43b, respectively, from the upper ridge and/or left side ridge 53 and/or right side ridge 54, respectively. As such, the free ends 42a, 44a, and 44b do not engage the relevant ridges 53, 54 and 55 of the tray 50 such that the tray 50 can be slid through the open end 60 of the outer sleeve 20.
The above described structural configuration of the package 10 provides a package that is easy to use yet prevents unwanted access to the product(s) contained therein.
Many modifications may be made to adapt the teachings of the package of this invention to particular situations or materials without departing form the scope thereof. Therefore, the invention should not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all embodiments within the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
