The present invention relates to packages and trays for holding and displaying multiple personal care articles and more particularly to disposable packages for holding and displaying multiple shaving razors.
Personal care articles such as shaving razors and tooth brushes are typically sold in clear plastic product packages containing a plurality of product units. These plastic packages are commonly referred to as blister packages and conventionally include a transparent plastic blister with a sheet or card material inside the package or as an outer seal which may add rigidity to the package and facilitate suspension of the package from a hanger of a point-of-sale display. The sheet or card material will usually be printed with appropriate data concerning the product within the pack. The pack is typically configured so that on the point-of-sale display the blister is at the front so that the contents within the blister are clearly visible to the customer. The card is usually provided with tear perforations to provide access to the contents within the package.
Typically, individual product packages are received from a manufacturer in shipping containers with several individual product packages contained loosely therein. These product packages must then be removed from the shipping container by a retail employee and mounted to the hanger of a point-of-sale display. The product is typically jostled during shipment and mounting of the product to the point-of-sale display, which may affect the orientation of the product within the package. Some packages include a separate tray within the package which holds a single product, however, these trays add extra cost and are typically reused by the customer to hold or store the product after the pack is thrown away. Thus, these trays are not cost effective options for lower cost disposable items. Lower cost and disposable items that are packaged together are typically not secured and are allowed to move freely within the package. The movement of the items is limited only by the external shape of the package and the number of items in the package. Items that are not secured to the package may change orientation by the time they reach the point-of-sale display.
Personal care articles items such as shaving razors, combs, brushes, and tooth brushes are typically suspended from retail pegs or placed directly on store shelves. Therefore, as used herein, the term “package”, or the phrase “product package” should be broadly construed to mean packaging for retaining personal care articles, such packaging being displayable.
In accordance with one aspect, the invention generally features a disposable package including a tub having a generally flat bottom surface and first and second shaving razors disposed within the tub. The first and second shaving razors each has a proximal end portion and a distal end portion. A first retaining member projects from the bottom surface and has first and second surfaces. The second surface of the first retaining member engages the distal end portion of the second shaving razor and the first surface of the first retaining member engages the proximal end portion of the first shaving razor.
In accordance with another aspect, the invention generally features a disposable package including a tub having a top surface, a generally level bottom surface, and a generally level back surface. A plurality of retaining members project from the bottom surface for retaining a plurality of personal care articles and a plurality of corresponding recesses extend into the back surface. A lid is removably sealed to the top surface and a label is mounted to the back surface for visually concealing the plurality of recesses.
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter that is regarded as the present invention, it is believed that the invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
In certain embodiments, the lid 14 may be a film or a plastic sheet that is heat sealed to the top surface 20. The tub 12 and/or lid 14 may be manufactured from generally translucent or transparent polymers, such that the consumer can view the personal care articles through the package 10. Opaque materials such as wood/paper pulp or Styrofoam may also be used if transparency is not required for the lid 14 or the tub 12. Examples of transparent or translucent polymers may include, but are not limited to polyolefins (e.g., polypropylene, high density polyethylene or low density polyethylene), polyesters (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate), and poly vinyl chloride (PVC). The tub 12 may be produced by thermoforming or other known processing methods such as injection molding, blow molding, cold forming, and injection blow molding. The lid 14 may be released or peeled away from the top surface 20 of the tub 12 to access the products disposed within the tub 12. In certain embodiments, the lid 14 and/or the top surface 20 may have an adhesive that allows the lid 14 to removed and resealed to the top surface 20 of the tub 12 repeatedly.
Referring to
The plurality of retaining members 40, 50, 60, and 70 may have a generally arcuate profile and may be continuous or segmented. As will be described in greater detail below, each retaining member 40, 50, 60 and 70 may aid in retaining two or more personal care articles, such as a disposable shaving razor (not shown). Each of the retaining members may 40, 50, 60 and 70 may have a respective first and second surfaces 42 and 44, 52 and 54, 62 and 64, 72 and 74. The first and second surfaces 42 and 44, 52 and 54, 62 and 64, 72 and 74 may be generally arcuate which may aid in holding the shaving razors 100a, 100b and 100c within the tub 12. The second and third retaining members 50 and 60 may be located on opposite end portions of the tub 12 relative to the first and fourth retaining members 40 and 70. In certain embodiments, the first and fourth retaining members 40 and 70 may be may be located at the proximal end portion 34 and the second and third retaining members 50 and 60 may be located at the distal end portion 36.
Referring to
Referring to
The first shaving razor 100a may be secured within the tub 12 by contacting or engaging a plurality of different surfaces that limit longitudinal and/or lateral movement of the first shaving razor 100a. For example, the cartridge 110a (or cartridge cover 112a) of the first shaving razor 100a may be secured between the perimeter wall 32 of the tub 12 and the fourth retaining member 70 to limit lateral movement of the shaving razor 100a. Lateral movement of the first shaving razor 100a may also be limited by the proximal end portion 104a of the first shaving razor 100a contacting the first retaining member 40. The first shaving razor 100a may be positioned between the perimeter wall 32 and the second retaining member 50 to limit longitudinal movement. For example, the second retaining member 50 may contact or hold the distal end portion 106a of the first shaving razor 100a and the perimeter wall 32 may contact the cartridge 110a (or cartridge cover 112a) to limit the shaving razor 100a from shifting longitudinally. The second retaining member 50 may have a curved profile to further limit lateral movement of the distal end portion of the handle 102a.
The second shaving razor 100b may also be secured within the tub 12 by contacting or engaging a plurality of different surfaces to limit longitudinal or lateral movement of the second shaving razor 100b. For example, the handle 102b may be positioned between the first retaining member 40 and the fourth retaining member 70 to limit lateral movement of the second shaving razor 100b. The second and third retaining members 50 and 60 may further limit movement of the handle 102b a lateral and longitudinal direction. The proximal end portion 104b of the handle 102b may be positioned between the second and third retaining members 50 and 60 to limit lateral movement. The second shaving razor 102b may also be positioned between the second and third retaining members 50 and 60 and the perimeter wall 32 limit the second shaving razor 100b from moving longitudinally. Longitudinal movement of the second shaving razor 102b may also be limited by the first and fourth retaining members 40 and 70 which contact the distal end portion 106b of the handle 102b and by the perimeter wall 32 which contacts the shaving cartridge 110b.
The third shaving razor 100c may be secured within the tub 12 by contacting or engaging a plurality of different surfaces to limit longitudinal and/or lateral movement of the third shaving razor 100c. For example, the third shaving razor 100c may be positioned between the third and fourth retaining members 60 and 70 to limit longitudinal movement of the third shaving razor 100c. The third retaining member 60 may have a curved profile to limit any lateral movement of the distal end portion 106c of the handle 102c. The perimeter wall 32 may contact the cartridge 110c to limit lateral movement of the third shaving razor 100c.
Referring to
The retaining members 140, 150, and 160 may have one or more ramps 142 and 144, 152 and 154, and 162 and 164 that incline or decline. The ramps 142 and 144, 152 and 154, and 162 and 164 may have a contoured top surface that corresponds to a contoured surface on the top and/or bottom surfaces on the distal end portions 106a, 106b, and 106c of the respective handles 102a, 102b, and 102c. The ramps 142 and 144, 152 and 154, and 162 and 164 may support the respective distal end portions 106a, 106b, and 106c add stability to the shaving razors 100a, 100b, and 100c within the tub 12. The distal end portions 106a, 106b, and 106c and the respective retaining members 140, 150, and 160 may have a slip fit configuration in which the distal end portions 106a, 106b, and 106c are loosely held in place by the respective retaining members 140, 150, and 160. Alternatively, the distal end portions 106a, 106b, and 106c and the respective retaining members 140, 150, and 160 may have a snap or press fit configuration in which the distal end portions 106a, 106b, and 106c are more tightly held in place by the respective retaining members 140, 150, and 160.
Referring to
The tub 212 may have first and fourth retaining members 240 and 270 similar to the first and fourth retaining members 40 and 70 of
The first shaving razor 100a may be secured laterally and/or longitudinally within the tub 212 by contacting or engaging a plurality of different surfaces. For example, the cartridge 110a (or cartridge cover 112a) of the first shaving razor 100a may be positioned between a perimeter wall 232 of the tub 212 and the fourth retaining member 270. The proximal end portion 104a may also contact the first retaining member 240 to limit lateral movement of the shaving razor 100a. The first shaving razor 100a may be positioned between the perimeter wall 232 and the second retaining member 250 to limit longitudinal movement of the first shaving razor 100a. The second retaining member 250 may nestingly receive the distal end portion 106a of the first shaving razor 100a to limit lateral and/or longitudinal movement of the first shaving razor 100a. The perimeter wall 232 may also contact the cartridge 110a (or cartridge cover 112a) to limit any unwanted longitudinal movement of the shaving razor 100a.
The second shaving razor 100b may also be secured laterally and/or longitudinally within the tub 212 by contacting or engaging a plurality of different surfaces. For example, the handle 102b may be positioned between the first retaining member 240 and the fifth retaining member 292 to limit lateral and/or longitudinal movement of the second shaving razor 100b. The proximal end portion 104b of the second shaving razor 102b may be secured between the second and third retaining members 250 and 260 to limit lateral and/or longitudinal movement of the second shaving razor 100b. The second and third retaining members 250 and 260 may also limit the shaving razor 100b from moving longitudinally in a first direction and the perimeter wall 232 may limit the shaving razor from moving longitudinally in a second direction.
The third shaving razor 100c may be secured laterally and/or longitudinally within the tub 212 by contacting or engaging a plurality of different surfaces. For example, the third shaving razor 100c may be positioned between the perimeter wall 232 of the tub 212 and the fifth retaining member 292 to limit lateral movement of the third shaving razor 100c. The fifth retaining member 292 may contact the proximal end portion 104c and the perimeter wall 232 may contact the cartridge 110c (or cartridge cover 112c). The third retaining member 260 may substantially nestingly receive the distal end portion 106c to limit lateral and/or longitudinal movement of the third shaving razor 100c. The third shaving razor 100c may also be secured longitudinally between the third retaining member 260 and the fourth retaining member 270. The fourth retaining member 270 may hold the cartridge 110c at a predetermined pivot angle, as previously described.
Referring to
The tub 312 may have a fifth and sixth retaining members 392 and 394 that project from the bottom surface 330. The sixth retaining member 394 may be located at a distal end portion of the tub 312 and may be configured to contact the distal end portion 106a of the first shaving razor 100a. The fifth retaining member 392 may be located at a proximal end portion of the tub 312 and may be configured to contact both the distal end portion 106b of the second shaving razor 100b and the proximal end portion 104c of the third shaving razor 100c. The fifth and sixth retaining members 392 and 394 may have a generally cylindrical or conical shape to facilitate the holding and proper spacing of one or more of the shaving razors 100a, 100b and 100c.
The first shaving razor 100a may be secured laterally and/or longitudinally within the tub 312 by contacting or engaging a plurality of different surfaces. For example, the cartridge 110a of the first shaving razor 100a may be positioned between the perimeter wall 332 of the tub 312 and the third retaining member 370 to limit lateral movement of the first shaving razor 100a. Lateral movement of the first shaving razor may also be limited by the proximal end portion 104a of the handle 102a contacting the distal end portion 106b of the handle 102b. The distal end portion 106a of the first shaving razor 100a may be secured laterally by the second retaining member 340, the proximal end portion 104b of the second shaving razor 100b, and the sixth 394 retaining member. The first shaving razor may 100a be positioned between the perimeter wall 332 of the tub 312 and the third retaining member 340 to limit longitudinal movement.
The second shaving razor 100b may be secured laterally and/or longitudinally within the tub 312 by contacting or engaging a plurality of different surfaces. For example, the distal end portion 106b of the second shaving razor 100b may be positioned between the proximal end portion 104a of the first shaving razor 100a and the fifth retaining member 392 to limit lateral movement. The proximal end portion 104b of the second shaving razor 100b may also be positioned between the distal end portions 106a and 106c of the first and third shaving razors 100a and 100c to limit lateral movement. The proximal end portion 104b of the second shaving razor 100b may also contact the second retaining member 340 to limit lateral movement. The second shaving razor 100b may be positioned between the perimeter wall 332 and the fourth retaining member 370 to limit longitudinal movement.
The third shaving razor 100c may be secured laterally and/or longitudinally within the tub 312 by contacting or engaging a plurality of different surfaces. For example, the third shaving razor 100c may be secured between the perimeter wall 332 of the tub 312 and the fifth retaining member 392 to limit lateral movement. The cartridge 110c (or cover 112c) may contact the perimeter wall 332 and the proximal end portion 104c may contact the fifth retaining member 392. The handle 102c of the third shaving razor may be positioned between the proximal end portion 104b of the second shaving razor 100b and the third retaining member 350 to limit lateral movement. The third shaving razor 100c may be positioned between the third retaining member 350 and the fourth retain member 370 to limit longitudinal movement.
The tub 312 may provide for improved spacing and holding the shaving razors 100a, 100b and 100c by securing them in both a lateral and longitudinal direction. The improved spacing and holding may help prevent damage to the shaving razors 100a, 100b and 100c during shipping and ensure an aesthetically pleasing package to a potential consumer at a point of sale display. In any of the embodiments described above, the tubs 12, 112, 212 and 312 may provide for a slip fit, press fit or snap fit configuration to secure or hold the shaving razors 100a, 100b and 100c.
Referring to
Further modifications and alternative embodiments of various aspects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this description. The components and structures of any particular embodiment illustrated and described herein may be interchangeable with any other components and structures illustrated and described herein, all as would be apparent to one skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description of the invention.
The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm”. In an effort to avoid any ambiguity, for the purposes of this disclosure, the term “portion” shall be construed as meaning less than 50%. For example, the term “distal end portion” should be interpreted as from about 0%, 5%, 10%, or 15% to about 15%, 20%. 25%, 30%, 40% or 45% from the terminal end of the element referenced. Similarly, the term “proximal end portion” should be interpreted as from about 0%, 5%, 10%, or 15% to about 15%, 20%. 25%, 30%, 40% or 45% from the end opposite the terminal end of the element referenced.
All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this written document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to the term in this written document shall govern.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.
This application is a divisional of pending U.S. application Ser. No. 12/367,713, filed Feb. 9, 2009 U.S. Pat. No. 7,854,320.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12367713 | Feb 2009 | US |
Child | 12823442 | US |