Patent Application
20100101976
The present invention relates to a product container used to hold and display consumer products for sale and, more particularly, to a product container which, when assembled, includes two container portions which mate together to form a tent-like package. The present package container is typically employed in a self-serve retail environment where consumers can select individual packages from a store shelf.
Package structures used to display articles for sale come in a wide array of shapes and designs. The ideal package is inexpensive to manufacture and has several features that are important to both the consumer and the merchant. For example, a consumer needs to easily and reliably verify the package's contents before making the purchase. A feature that is important to store owners is increased theft deterrence and improved product protection. Finally, the package needs to provide adequate space on its exterior surface for advertising, logo placement, instructions regarding the product and so forth.
The presentation of a product to the consumer is also important in that it should convey certain information about the product and it should help the consumer make a choice to purchase the product. Some of the more popular package structures are the traditional plastic clamshell and the blister-to-board packages. These package structures are commonly referred to as “blister packs” and “clamshell packs” and both structures are pre-formed plastic structures used for housing consumer products. The “blister pack” has been known for some time, and it is quite customary to find a consumer product enclosed within a formed blister made of transparent, stiff, flexible material and secured to a board material by heat and/or adhesive. The two primary components of a blister pack are a thermally formed cup shaped container or recess made of a transparent plastic material that surrounds the product to be displayed and sold and a printed paperboard card member to which the container portion is attached. Blister packaging is an inexpensive option for creating packages that are durable, transparent, and tamper proof. The clear plastic blister is used in conjunction with a paperboard card material to keep the product in partial view for the customer to examine. Blister packages typically must be suspended from a hook or pegboard display and typically will not sit upright on a shelf.
On the other hand, a “clamshell pack” is a pre-formed plastic package that has one or more hinges. A single hinged clamshell likewise usually includes a hanger tab that allows the packaged product to hang on a store peg or hook associated with a particular display. A multi hinged clamshell package offers additional features that can include a flat base for free standing of the package and the enclosed product on a store shelf. Stand-alone packages offer particular advantages in that they can be easily placed on a shelf, counter or other merchandising area where the product is more visible and more clearly presented to the public and more accessible for selection by a consumer.
Various types of stand-alone clamshell packages have been disclosed in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,516 which was issued on Jul. 14, 1992 to Theros discloses a product container for holding and displaying a tape measure having working components, the package including first and second substantially mirror image panels each having an upper end, a lower end, a pair of sides each having respective outwardly projecting recesses associated therewith, and a base portion being generally trapezoidal in cross-section, the lower ends of the panels being integrally hinged to the base portion. When the panels are placed in contacting relationship, an enclosed compartment for the tape measure is formed by the recesses. The package is manufactured from a single sheet of plastic in a single thermoforming step, including the provision of having integrally formed access apertures enabling purchasers to manipulate the tape measure prior to purchase.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 20070187274 published Aug. 16, 2007 to Dalea et al discloses a trifold clamshell package comprising a first clamshell side, a second clamshell side and a base portion. The trifold clamshell package is constructed from a single piece of transparent polyvinyl chloride. The base portion is attached to the first clamshell side and the second clamshell side by two hinges. The base portion further includes two apertures through which the caps of the product bottles extend once the products are placed into the clamshell package. The first clamshell side and the second clamshell side are folded together at each hinge relative to the base portion. The first clamshell side and second clamshell side are affixed together via a number of locking tabs which are friction-fit locking tabs. A male aspect of each locking tab is molded into the first clamshell side and a female aspect of each locking tab is molded into the second clamshell side. The first clamshell side and second clamshell side each comprise a recessed area. Each recessed area is molded to the shape of the products to be held and displayed by the clamshell package. The package container is made of a single material and is typically formed as a one-piece member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,273 issued Mar. 22, 1988 to DeMarco discloses a container for storing, transporting and displaying a caramel apple, or the like. The container is a single molded piece of plastic with a pair of pivotal sections and a base section pivotally mounting the pair of pivotal sections. Each pivotal section is formed with an outwardly projecting half-shell, which half-shells cooperate when the two sections are in their closed abutting position to form a substantially frustro-conically shaped hollow enclosure in which is stored the caramel apple. The base section is provided with an upstanding hollow support on the upper surface of which rests the caramel apple. The outwardly projecting half-shells form a substantially tent-like package when the half-shells are in their closed abutting position. The structure is manufactured from a single sheet of plastic
In an effort to overcome a variety of shortcomings in conventional blister packages and clamshell packages, such as the use of a lot of plastic material, hard to open packages, and small graphic areas, the present invention provides a stand-alone “stand-up” shelf stocking package that substantially reduces the amount of plastic used in clamshell packages, improves openability, and provides a larger surface for product advertising, logo placement, instructions regarding the product and so forth.
Specific advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and description of an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.
The present invention relates to various embodiments of a product container for holding and displaying consumer products. The present invention overcomes many of the shortcomings and limitations of the prior art product containers discussed above, and teaches the construction and operation of several embodiments of a tent-like product container for holding and displaying consumer products. In one aspect of the present invention, the present product container includes a product containing compartment and a base member that encloses the product containing compartment. The base member includes a substantially planar surface and the product containing compartment includes a plurality of container portions which mate together and enclose the product in its assembled or closed configuration.
The present invention also relates to a new environmentally friendly package container as an alternative to traditional plastic clamshell and/or blister-to-board packages. The base member can be made from environmentally friendly materials and includes fold lines, optional visibility cut-out windows, an optional handle, and an optional handle die-cut for fold-over. The base member is sketched for placement of an adhesive on its interior portion and graphics can be incorporated on a substantial portion of the opposite exterior side of the base member. The container portions include a seal flange for attaching to the base member. The container portions each likewise include an inclined or angularly sloped upper surface and may include a mechanical lock or alignment feature associated with at least a portion of the upper edge surface thereof. Two container portions are positioned in spaced apart relationship on the planar surface of the base member and attached thereto using an adhesive or other attaching means. An article or product is loaded into one of the two container portions. The product container is then folded along the fold lines such that the top edge surfaces of the two spaced apart container portions mate with each other to form a tent-like package. Once mated, the two container portions form one single closed product containing compartment. The top of the product container is then sealed with adhesive or other suitable means. Alternatively, if the upper edge portion of each of the container portions contains a mechanical lock feature, the respective container portions will snap fit together when the base member is folded.
The present product container forms a tent shaped enclosure for an article when assembled and is formed when a first container portion and a second container portion come into positional alignment with each other in a closed or assembled configuration. The base member surrounding the product containing compartment in an assembled or closed configuration includes a front panel, a back panel, a base portion and a top portion. The front and back panels extending from the base portion are configured to be folded along fold lines. The first and second container portions are then affixed or placed on the inner surface of the front and back panels, respectively. The front and back panels are then folded along the fold lines and the upper ends of the base member are then bonded or otherwise securely attached to each other using any suitable means such that the upper ends of the respective first and second container portions are mated or coupled with each other to form a product containing compartment.
The base member may include at least one opening which permits viewing of an article contained by the product containing compartment therethrough when the product containing compartment is made of a substantially transparent material. The assembled product container is provided with a die-cut handle defined by cut-out portions disposed on the upper end portions of the base member.
The present product container provides for a substantial reduction in use of plastic material vis-à-vis clamshell packages; increased theft protection/deterrence vis-à-vis blister-to-board packages; improved openability; the use of environmentally friendly materials; stand up presentation on a shelf; a large surface area for product graphics; and nestability, product visibility, and robustness.
For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings.
It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale and that the embodiments disclosed herein are sometimes illustrated by fragmentary views. In certain instances, details which are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention or which render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. It should be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein. Like numbers utilized throughout the various figures designate like or similar parts or structure.
The upright closed product container 10 depicted in
As best shown in
With reference now to
Container portion 20 illustrated in
Once the container portions are positioned and attached to the base member 16 as explained, the front and back panels 22 and 24 are then folded along the fold lines 31 to form the inclined or angularly sloped surfaces of the tent-like package as illustrated in
Each container portion 18 and 20 is manufactured of a single sheet of preferably transparent, rigid plastic material, such as polyproprionate, polybutyrate, PVC or an equivalent, semi-rigid sheet film material. In one embodiment, each container portion 18 and 20 is manufactured of an environmentally friendly thermoplastic material. The sheet is thermoformed or molded to the desired shape. The base member 16, on the other hand, can be made of an environmentally friendly board stock material such as a card-stock material, a fluted board, or a plastic sheet. However, it is also within the scope of the present invention to construct the entire product container 10, including the container portions 18 and 20 and the base member 16, with a single material, such as environmentally friendly pulp stock. In those embodiments where the container portions 18 and 20 are made of a non-transparent material and it is not necessary to view the product positioned within the container portions 18 and 20, the window cut-outs 34 can be eliminated.
Turning now to the above-identified components in greater detail, the base member 16 is substantially planar and may be provided with a pair of first cut-out portions 32 which mate together to form a handle of the product container 10. The planar configuration is designed to facilitate the mating and/or attachment of the first and second container portions 18 and 20 to the front and back panels 22 and 24 and to facilitate closing of the product container 10. This attachment may be accomplished by any conventional means including using an adhesive. When in its closed configuration, the respective top portions 28 of the base member 16 mate with each other and can likewise be attached to each other by any suitable means including using an adhesive. It is recognized that a wide variety of different types of attachment mechanisms can be utilized to seal the opposing top portions 28 of the base member 16 in mating engagement with each other.
When the first and second container portions 18 and 20 mate with each other and both opposite ends of the base member are attached together at the top portions 28 by folding the base member 16 along the fold lines 31 as shown in
Connection panels 50 which extend from the front and back panels 22 and 24 to the top portions 28 define an opening 52 between the top surface of the product containing compartment 14 and the inner surface of the connection panels 50 as best shown in
Base member 16 can be fabricated from a sheet of material by conventional die cutting methods known in the art and, if desired, product descriptions and graphics can be printed on the outer surface of any of the panels that form the base member 16 as previously explained. The first and second container portions 18 and 20 are then affixed to the inner surface of the base member 16 as previously explained. To complete the assembly process, a merchandise product is inserted into one of the first or second container portions 18 or 20 and the overall package or container 10 is then closed and sealed as previously explained. The product container 10 permits partial visibility of the product through the window cut-outs 34 and may be displayed on a shelf in a stand-up mode due to the self-supporting design achieved by the substantially flat bottom portion of the container 10 formed by panel 26 which lies between the pair of fold lines 31.
It is also recognized and anticipated that the container portions 18 and 20 can be fabricated without the floor portion 45. In this embodiment, the side walls 44 and 46 will have corresponding openings at each opposite upper and lower end portions thereof and when the respective container portions 18 and 20 are attached to the front and rear panels 22 and 24 of the base member 16, the front and rear panels 22 and 24 will form the floor portion for each respective container portion 18 and 20. This configuration saves material during the fabrication of the container portions 18 and 20 and such structure will work equally as well as the container portions 18 and 20 illustrated in
Based upon the structure of the container portions 18a and 20a illustrated in
It should also be noted that the base member 16 (
Also, the upper end portion of one side wall 64 of container portion 18b is wider in overall width as compared to the upper end portion of the opposing side wall 66 as best illustrated in
Assembly of a container package utilizing container portion 18b is substantially identical to the attachment and folding of the base member 16 and container portions 18a and 20a illustrated in
It is also recognized and anticipated that if any of the container portions 18, 20, 18a, 20a and 18b are made from pulp stock or any other non-transparent material and it is desirable to allow consumers to view the product positioned within the product containing compartment 14, a window can be cut or otherwise formed in the floor of the non-transparent container portion, such as the window cut-out portion 80 associated with container portion 18b illustrated in
It is also recognized and anticipate that if window cut-out portion 80 is used in association with any non-transparent container portion, the base member 16, or at least base panels 22 and/or 24, can be made of a transparent material so that the base cut-out portions 34 can be eliminated. In this embodiment, viewing of the product or contents of product containing compartment 14 can be accomplished by looking through at least transparent base panel 22 and/or 24 and through window cut-out portion 80 to the interior of product compartment 14.
This new product container affords similar product features associated with traditional clamshell and/or blister-to-board packages including theft deterrence, product visibility and robustness. In addition, the new product container provides substantial reduction in plastic as compared to clamshell packages; increased theft deterrents as compared to blister-to-board packages; improved product protection; use of environmentally friendly plastics, board stock and pulp stock; it provides for stand-up shelf stocking; and it provides a large surface for product graphics.
Thus, there has been shown and described several embodiments of a novel invention. As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present constructions will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention and the scope of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited solely to the embodiments shown herein. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various embodiments described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by this disclosure.
