The present invention relates generally to disposable packaging systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to small, box-type packaging systems for containing and dispensing particulate organic product.
Organic smokable product, such as tobacco, legal non-tobacco herbs, or the like, continues to be enjoyed by consumers worldwide. Optimizing the smoking characteristics of organic material requires maintaining its freshness and flocculence from the time the product is packaged until the time the consumer uses the product. Protecting the freshness of the product helps maximize its flavor and burn characteristics at the time of its use. Protecting the flocculence, or fluffiness, of an aggregate of particulate smokable product helps ensure that, when placed in rolling paper, leaf or other cigar wrapper material by the consumer, it will draw properly and thereby produce a smoother smoking experience.
Personal sized box systems have been proposed within which such organic product is sold and conveniently carried by an individual consumer until such product is fully dispensed. Some such systems may include a window through which the organic product can be viewed, and may include a side pocket within which rolling papers may be stored. However, such conventional systems may not provide aspects for conveniently allowing a consumer to measure out a desired quantity of the product prior to placement of the measured quantity onto a rolling paper, and may not adequately prevent an excessive amount of the product from escaping from the box. A lack of continuous or adequate rigidity in such conventional systems may also result in deficient securement and protection of the rolling papers held within the side pocket.
What is needed is a package system for organic product with a box having a window and a side pocket, wherein the box can be formed more inexpensively from a box blank while generally providing improved rigidity over prior solutions. The resulting system should also provide the consumer the ability to more conveniently dispense a desired amount of product from the box for a single use, while reducing spillage of the remaining product or unnecessary reduction in its freshness or flocculence. Those in the art appreciate that these and other desired objectives addressed by embodiments of the invention described herein are preferably accomplished while minimizing the number of individual components of the system and the manufacturing costs and processes involved in producing such a system.
One or more deficiencies of the prior art are addressed by a package system for particulate organic product, which typically includes at least a box element and an insert element. The organic product may be, for example, tobacco, non-tobacco herbs, a combination thereof, or the like.
The box element may include a first face panel, a second face panel, a box cavity therebetween and a side pocket. The box cavity may have a first end and a second end. The first face panel may include a window aperture. The second face panel may include a tenth fold line at generally the second end. The box element may further include a second closure panel extending along the tenth fold line and a second tuck flap foldedly connected to the second closure panel generally oppositely of the tenth fold line. The box element may be formed from a box blank particularly configured to provide the resulting box element with improved structural properties while minimizing manufacturing-related costs and complexities.
The insert element may be substantially transparent and slideable with respect to the box cavity between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration. The insert element is typically positioned entirely within the box cavity when in its retracted configuration. Contrastingly, the insert element typically extends partially outwardly of the second end when in its extended configuration. The second closure panel and second tuck flap may be cooperatively movable into a product partitioning configuration in which the second closure panel and second tuck flap may act as a product partition when the insert element is in its extended configuration, thereby separating a product measurement zone from a product retention zone. Once a consumer has selectively measured and partitioned a quantity of the product within the product measurement zone, the system may be tilted to allow the measured quantity to be conveniently dispensed from the product measurement zone while the remaining product is retained within the product retention zone, where its flocculence, purity and freshness may be substantially preserved.
Further advantages of the present invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art with the benefit of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and upon reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Referring now to the drawings, like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding features throughout the several views. Embodiments of a package system for organic product are shown generally at 100, and may include a box element 102 and an insert element 104. The box element 102 is typically formed to include an integral side pocket 200 adapted to snuggly and protectively receive an auxiliary packet (such as the one illustrated, for example, at 198). The auxiliary packet may comprise or contain, for example, fresh rolling papers.
A box blank 106 may be provided for forming a box element 102 with integral side pocket 200. The box blank 106 may be made of a foldable material such as, for example, paperboard or the like. The box blank 106 may include decorative and informative printing, and fold lines which may be defined by, for example, scoring of the material of which the blank is substantially made. Embodiments of a box blank 106 may comprise a first face panel 110, a second face panel 112, a first side panel 114, a second side panel 116, a pocket side panel 118, a first adhesion flap 120, a second adhesion flap 122, a pocket face panel 124, and a pocket closure flap 138.
The first face panel 110 may be defined at least in part by a first fold line 148, a second fold line 150 and a third fold line 152. The first and second fold lines may be generally parallel to the third fold line 152 and disposed at a first distance 190 and a second distance 192 respectively therefrom. The first distance 190 may be greater than the second distance 192 by a third distance 194. In certain preferred embodiments, the third distance 194 may be, for example, approximately 0.3 inches. In certain preferred embodiments, the first face panel 110 may include one or more window apertures 140.
The first side panel 114 may be defined at least in part by the third fold line 152 and a fifth fold line 156 generally parallel thereto. The pocket side panel 118 may be defined at least in part by the first fold line 148 and a sixth fold line 158 generally parallel thereto. The pocket face panel 124 may be defined at least in part by the sixth fold line 158 and a seventh fold line 160 generally parallel thereto. The sixth and seventh fold lines may be spaced from one another by approximately the third distance 194. The first adhesion flap 120 may be foldably connected to the pocket face panel 124 along the seventh fold line 160. The second adhesion flap 122 may be foldably connected to the second fold line 150, and may be separated from the pocket side panel 118 by way of an adhesion flap slit 188. The second face panel 112 may be defined at least in part by the fifth fold line 156 and an eighth fold line 162 generally parallel thereto. The second side panel 116 may be foldably connected to the second face panel 112 along the eighth fold line 162. The pocket closure flap 138 may be foldably connected to the pocket side panel 118 along a ninth fold line 164. The ninth fold line 164 may be generally perpendicular to the first fold line 148.
In particular embodiments of a box blank 106, the first face panel 110 may be further defined by a fourth fold line 154 which may extend generally from the third fold line 152 to the first fold line 148. In such embodiments, the second face panel 112 may be further defined by a tenth fold line 166 generally perpendicular to the third fold line 152. The box blank 106 may further comprise a first closure panel 126, a second closure panel 128, a first tuck flap 134 and a second tuck flap 136. The first closure panel 126 may extend along the fourth fold line 154 from, for example, approximately the first fold line 148 to the third fold line 152. The second closure panel 128 may extend along the tenth fold line 166 from, for example, approximately the fifth fold line 156 to the eighth fold line 162. The first tuck flap 134 may be foldably connected to the first closure panel 126 along an eleventh fold line 168 and may extend, for example, generally within the second distance 192 generally along the eleventh fold line 168. The first tuck flap 134 maybe partially disconnected from the first closure panel 126 by way of a pair of laterally opposed tuck flap slits 186. The second tuck flap 136 may be foldably connected to the second closure panel 128, for example, along a sixteenth fold line 178.
A first dust flap 130 and a second dust flap 132 may be foldably connected to opposite ends of the first side panel 114 by way of, for example, a twelfth fold line 170 and thirteenth fold line 172, respectively. Similarly, a further first dust flap 130 and second dust flap 132 may be foldably connected to opposite ends of the second side panel 116 by way of, for example, a fourteenth fold line 174 and a fifteenth fold line 176, respectively.
Certain embodiments of a package system 100 for organic product may comprise a box element 102 made of a foldable material, such as, for example, paperboard or the like. The box element 102 may include a first face panel 110, a first side panel 114, a pocket side panel 118, a pocket face panel 124, a first adhesion flap 120, a second adhesion flap 122, a second face panel 112, a second side panel 116 and a pocket closure flap 138.
In such embodiments of a box element 102, the first face panel 110 may be defined at least in part by a first fold line 148, a second fold line 150, and a third fold line 152. The first and second fold lines may be generally parallel to the third fold line 152 and may be disposed at a first distance 190 and a second distance 192 respectively therefrom. The first distance 190 may be greater than the second distance 192 by a third distance 194. In certain embodiments, the third distance 194 may be, for example, approximately 0.3 inches.
The first side panel 114 of the box element 102 may be defined at least in part by the third fold line 152 and a fifth fold line 156 generally parallel thereto. The pocket side panel 118 may be defined at least in part by the first fold line 148 and a sixth fold line 158 generally parallel thereto. The pocket face panel 124 may be defined at least in part by the sixth fold line 158 and a seventh fold line 160 generally parallel thereto. The sixth and seventh fold lines may be spaced from one another by approximately the third distance 194. The first adhesion flap 120 may be foldedly connected to the pocket face panel 124 along the seventh fold line 160. The second adhesion flap 122 may be foldedly connected to the second fold line 150. The second face panel 112 may be defined at least in part by the fifth fold line 156 and an eighth fold line 162 generally parallel thereto. The second side panel 116 may be foldedly connected to the second face panel 112 along the eighth fold line 162. The pocket closure flap 138 may be foldedly connected to the pocket side panel 118 along a ninth fold line 164. The ninth fold line 164 may be generally perpendicular to the first fold line 148. As illustrated, for example, in
In certain embodiment of a package system 100 with a box element 102, the first face panel 110 may be further defined by a fourth fold line 154 extending generally from the third fold line 152 to the first fold line 148. In addition, the second face panel 112 may be further defined by a tenth fold line 166 generally perpendicular to the third fold line 152. The box element 102 may further comprise a first closure panel 126, a second closure panel, a first tuck flap and a second tuck flap. The first closure panel 126 may extend along the fourth fold line 154 from approximately the first fold line 148 to the third fold line 152. The second closure panel 128 may extend along the tenth fold line 166 from approximately the fifth fold line 156 to the eighth fold line 162. The first tuck flap 134 may be foldedly connected to the first closure panel 126 along an eleventh fold line 168 and may extend generally within the second distance 192 generally along the eleventh fold line 168. The second tuck flap 136 may be foldedly connected to the second closure panel 128.
In particular embodiments of a box element 102, the first face panel 110 may include at least one window aperture 140. Such window apertures may, for example, take the form of decoratively or alpha-numerically-shaped designs. In embodiments of a box element 102, the first adhesion flap 120 and second adhesion flap 122 may each be adhesively bonded to the second side panel 116. For example, the first adhesion zone 180 of the first adhesion flap 120 may be brought into mutual adhesive contact with the second adhesion zone 182 of the second side panel 116. Similarly, the backside of the second adhesion flap 122 may be brought into mutual adhesive contact with the third adhesion zone 184 of the second side panel 116.
As illustrated, for example, in
In embodiments of a package system 100 in which an insert element 104 is in a fully inserted configuration with respect to the box cavity 202, the insert end panel 146 may be substantially adjacent the first closure panel 126 and may also be approximately parallel therewith. In certain embodiments of a package system 100 in which the first face panel includes at least one window aperture 140, the insert base panel 142 may extend across the at least one window aperture 140. Such embodiments may further comprise organic smokable product 214 within the box cavity 202, wherein the insert base panel 142 is substantially disposed between the organic smokable product 214 and the at least one window aperture 140.
In particular embodiments of a package system 100 having a box element 102 and an insert element 104, the insert lateral panels 144 may be elastically biased to return to a partially unfolded configuration (for example, respective positions between those shown in
Certain embodiments of a package system 100 may comprise a box element 102 and an insert element 104. The box element 102 may include a first face panel 110, a second face panel 112, a box cavity 202 therebetween and a side pocket 200. The box cavity 202 may have a first end 204 and a second end 206. The first face panel 110 may include a window aperture 140. The second face panel 112 may include a tenth fold line 166 at generally the second end 206. The box element 102 may further include a second closure panel 128 extending along the tenth fold line 166 and a second tuck flap 136 foldedly connected to the second closure panel 128 generally oppositely of the tenth fold line 166.
The insert element 104 may be substantially transparent and slideable with respect to the box cavity 202 between a retracted configuration (as shown, for example, in
While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.