The present invention relates generally to a package assembly for accommodating and dispensing consumable products arranged in an array. More particularly, the present invention relates to a product packet containing an array of consumable products and a sleeve slidably accommodating the product packet.
Certain consumable products, such as slabs of chewing gum, may be supported in a package housing which allows for dispensing of an individual product from the package while retaining the other products for future use. One type of package assembly which may be used to contain and dispense individually wrapped slabs of chewing gum includes a product packet, preferably made of foil, which encloses the products in the aligned array. The packet provides environmental protection to the products contained therein.
The product packet while conforming to the array of products, is typically housed in an outer housing of the package assembly. In order to remove the product, the packet must be opened to expose the products contained therein. In addition, as the products are removed from the packet on an individual basis, the packet housing must be constructed to support the product packet during continuous dispensing of individual products therefrom. Still further, the package housing should allow for enclosing of the remaining products contained within the packet.
It is desirable to have a package assembly which is both compact and easy to use and which opens the product packet upon use.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a package assembly is provided. The package assembly includes a product packet and a sleeve. The product packet provides for enclosing an array of aligned products wherein the packet conforms to the configuration of the product array. The product packet has an openable upper end for exposing the product array, and the packet includes a removable portion defining the open upper end. The sleeve has at least one open end slidably insertably and removably accommodating the product packet therein, wherein the slidable removal of the packet from the sleeve opens the product packet. The sleeve includes an adhesive surface engaged with the openable upper end of the packet for removing the removable portion of the packet upon the removal of the packet from the sleeve
In another embodiment of the present invention, a blank is provided for forming a sleeve package. The blank includes a pair of opposed major surfaces, an upper surface and a lower surface. The lower surface includes a top portion and a bottom portion which overlap during assembly. The pair of opposed major surfaces are separated by the upper surface; and the upper surface and the lower surface are smaller in length than each of the pair opposed major surfaces. The top portion extends from one of the pair of opposed major surfaces and the bottom portion extends from another of the pair of opposed major surfaces. The blank is rectangular in shape.
A further embodiment of the present invention is a method of forming the sleeve. The steps include cutting a blank from a sheet. The blank includes a pair of opposed major surfaces, an upper surface and a lower surface. The lower surface includes a top portion and a bottom portion which overlap during assembly. The pair of opposed major surfaces are separated by the upper surface; and the upper surface and the lower surface are smaller in length than each of the pair opposed major surfaces. The top portion extends from one of the pair of opposed major surfaces and the bottom portion extends from another of the pair of opposed major surfaces. The blank is rectangular in shape. The upper surface includes an adhesive strip on an inside surface of the upper surface. The next step includes folding the pair of opposed major surfaces along major fold lines, wherein the pair of opposed major surfaces are parallel, and perpendicular to the upper surface. A further step includes folding the bottom portion along a bottom fold line wherein the bottom portion is perpendicular to the opposed major surfaces and parallel to the upper surface. An additional step includes folding the top portion along a top fold line such that the top portion is parallel to the bottom portion. The next step includes adhering the top portion to the bottom portion defining the lower surface, wherein the pair of opposing major surfaces, upper surface, and the lower surfaces defines an interior cavity, the adhesive strip is located in the interior cavity.
The present invention provides a package assembly in the form of a packet containing a plurality of consumable products wherein the packet is slidably received in a sleeve.
Referring to
The packet 12 is constructed to accommodate a plurality of consumable products which are preferably flat gum slabs 14 arranged in a face-to-face array. The product packet 12 is formed from a rectangular sheet where the sheet may be formed from a single or multiply structure. The sheet preferably includes a paper surface forming the inside and an opposed foil surface forming the outside where the foil surface 15 provides environmental protection to the gum slabs 14 contained within the packet 12. In conventional fashion, the packet 12 is formed about the array of gum slabs 14 into a generally rectangular configuration. The packet could be a foil pack with a score line, a carton box with a foil overlay, or a combination of foil and paper carton. For example, the bottom portion can be a paper or carton material to provide the structure and the top portion may be foil connected to the bottom portion to allow for removal of the top portion.
In a preferred embodiment, the packet 12 entirely surrounds and encloses the array of gum slabs 14 contained therein. In order to dispense the product from the packet, an upper end 12a of packet 12 is removed so as to expose the upper end 14a of gum slabs 14. Thus as will be described in further detail hereinbelow, the present invention provides for removal of the upper end 12a of packet 12 upon removal of the packet from sleeve 16.
The packet 12 is designed for slidable accommodation within a sleeve 16. The sleeve 16 is formed from a generally rectangular paperboard blank 20, shown in
Generally, sleeve 10 is formed by placing the upper end 12a of closed packet 12 on top of upper surface 26, and bending at fold lines 23 such that major surfaces 22,24 are perpendicular to upper surface 26 and parallel opposed to each other. Major surfaces 22, 24 extend in either side of the closed packet. The next step includes bending at fold line 19 such that bottom portion 28b is perpendicular to major surface 24 and in parallel orientation with upper surface 26. Then bending fold line 18 such that top portion 28a covers a portion of bottom portion 28b, and top portion 28a is aligned with and parallel to bottom portion 28b. Top portion 28a is attached the respective flap, bottom portion 28b, by an adhesive to form lower surface 28. The closed packet 12 is surrounded by the sleeve 16 with two open ends represented by ends 25 and 27. The closed packet 12 extends within the interior cavity 35 of the sleeve 16.
Additionally, one technique for removing the upper end 12a of the packet 12 to expose the gum slabs 14 includes providing the inside surface 26a of the upper surface 26 of sleeve 16 with a rectangular adhesive strip or glue line 30. The glue line 30 is located within the interior cavity 35 of the sleeve 16.
In order to facilitate such removal, the packet 12 is scored or perforated at least partially about the upper end 12a so that it may be cleanly removed from the remainder of the packet 12. Once the packet 12 is removed from the sleeve 16, the desired number of gum slabs 14 may be dispensed and the packet containing the remaining gum slabs can be reinserted into the sleeve 16 through one of the open ends.
A further embodiment of the sleeve of the present invention is shown in
A still further embodiment of the sleeve of the present invention is shown in
Having described the preferred embodiments herein, it should now be appreciated that variations may be made thereto without departing from the contemplated scope of the invention. Accordingly, the preferred embodiments described herein are deemed illustrative rather than limiting, the true scope of the invention being set forth in the claims appended hereto.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/280,913 filed on Nov. 10, 2009, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/US10/55903 | 11/9/2010 | WO | 00 | 5/24/2012 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61280913 | Nov 2009 | US |