The present disclosure relates generally to packaging systems, and more specifically to a utility feature for inserting adjunct and/or essential materials within an assembled corrugated package.
Historically, small consumer appliances and other fully assembled machines (e.g., Keurig coffee makers) are manufactured in countries with reduced manufacturing and labor costs (such as Asia or Mexico), are packaged, and are then shipped to the United States or another country for distribution. Prior to shipment to final retail locations, sample materials or adjunct components, such as ingredients, supplies, or beverage pods (produced in North America) are included within the appliance package.
Traditional appliance packaging designs require a disassembly of the pallet load of appliances, re-opening of the appliance's typically corrugated package, insertion of the sample or adjunct materials, resealing of the appliance packaging, and reassembly of the pallet load for further processing and delivery. This process consumes a high degree of both time and labor.
Further, manufacturing constraints, such as location, distribution channels, and existing manufacturing assemblies, often discourage (i) shipping sample materials or adjunct components to Asia, Mexico, or other appliance manufacturing centers because efficient use of a finite shelf-life of product is not always accomplished due to inefficient logistics, or (ii) a process with few unit operations or limited labor to include sample materials.
Therefore, there is a need for an efficient and economical way to add sample materials or adjunct components to a factory sealed primary packaging.
An exemplary embodiment of the present system and method overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and meets the recognized need for such a device by providing an opening feature upon an exterior wall of a primary package which provides the utility of inserting adjunct and/or essential materials without requiring the opening of the primary (major or minor) flaps of the primary packaging. The exemplary system and method includes a hinged door on the outer surface of the primary package that is re-closable.
In a first aspect, the present disclosure includes a package. The package includes a primary packaging. The primary package includes walls that define an interior space configured to hold primary contents. The primary package further includes a primary access flap that is configured to enclose the primary contents within the interior space. The package further includes an opening feature defined in an outer surface of at least one wall of the primary packaging and configured to provide access to the interior space for adjunct materials. The opening feature is configured to provide access to the interior space for adjunct materials while the primary packaging maintains: (i) the primary access flap in a closed position; and (ii) a position of primary contents held within the interior space.
A number of feature refinements and additional features are applicable in the first aspect and contemplated in light of the present disclosure. These feature refinements and additional features may be used individually or in any combination. As such, each of the following features that will be discussed may be, but are not required to be, used with any other feature combination of the first aspect.
In an embodiment, the opening feature includes a hinged door configured to articulate over a secondary opening defined in the outer surface. The packaging may further include an internal feature defining an internal compartment within the interior space and connected to the secondary opening defined by the outer surface.
In another embodiment, the adjunct material may be arranged within a secondary packaging. The internal compartment may be configured to receive the secondary packaging. In some cases, the internal feature is configured to define a friction fit with an exterior of the secondary packaging.
In another embodiment, the primary contents may be an appliance comprising a beverage machine. The adjunct materials may be consumables associate with an operation of the beverage machine.
In some cases, the package may further include the primary contents. The primary packaging may be formed from a corrugated material.
In a second aspect the present disclosure includes a package. The package includes walls formed from a corrugated material and defining an interior space. The package further includes a primary access flap enclosing the interior space. The package further includes at least one wall defining a secondary opening in an outer surface extending into the interior space. The at least one wall further defines a hinged door covering the secondary opening. The interior space is arranged to receive adjunct materials through the secondary opening. The primary access flap, when opened, allows for access to adjunct materials.
A number of feature refinements and additional features are applicable in the second aspect and contemplated in light of the present disclosure. These feature refinements and additional features may be used individually or in any combination. As such, each of the following features that will be discussed may be, but are not required to be, used with any other feature combination of the second aspect.
In an embodiment, the hinged door may be defined by perforations formed through the at least one wall. The hinged door may be configured to separate from a remainder of the at least one wall along the perforations. The hinged door may define a digit engagement feature configured for manipulation of the hinged door.
In another embodiment, the packaging comprises an internal feature configured to separate primary contents held within the interior space from adjunct materials received through the secondary opening. In some cases, the interior space may be configured to hold primary contents in a predetermined orientation. The predetermined orientation of the primary contents is maintained when adjunct materials are received through the secondary opening.
In another embodiment, the packing comprises a sealer configured to seal the hinged door about the opening.
In a third aspect the present disclosure includes a method for assembling a package. The method includes providing a primary package defining an interior space, the primary package including a primary access flap and an opening feature, each connected to the interior space. The method further includes packaging primary contents with the primary package at a predetermined orientation by: (i) inserting the primary contents into the interior space through the primary access flap; and (ii) sealing the primary access flap. The method further includes packaging adjunct materials with the primary package by inserting the adjunct materials into the interior space through the opening feature, while maintaining the predetermined orientation of the primary contents within the interior space.
A number of feature refinements and additional features are applicable in the third aspect and contemplated in light of the present disclosure. These feature refinements and additional features may be used individually or in any combination. As such, each of the following features that will be discussed may be, but are not required to be, used with any other feature combination of the first aspect.
In an embodiment, the operation of providing a primary package further includes forming the opening feature in a wall of the primary packaging defining the interior space by one or more of die-cutting, laser-cutting, or stamping.
In another embodiment, the opening feature includes a hinged door defined by perforations formed through a wall of the primary packing defining the interior space. In some cases, the operation of packaging the adjunct materials further includes separating the hinged door from a remainder of the wall along the perforations.
In another embodiment, the method further includes sealing the opening feature using tamper-resistant tape.
In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the drawings and by study of the following description.
The disclosure will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:
The use of cross-hatching or shading in the accompanying figures is generally provided to clarify the boundaries between adjacent elements and also to facilitate legibility of the figures. Accordingly, neither the presence nor the absence of cross-hatching or shading conveys or indicates any preference or requirement for particular materials, material properties, element proportions, element dimensions, commonalities of similarly illustrated elements, or any other characteristic, attribute, or property for any element illustrated in the accompanying figures.
Additionally, it should be understood that the proportions and dimensions (either relative or absolute) of the various features and elements (and collections and groupings thereof) and the boundaries, separations, and positional relationships presented therebetween, are provided in the accompanying figures merely to facilitate an understanding of the various embodiments described herein and, accordingly, may not necessarily be presented or illustrated to scale, and are not intended to indicate any preference or requirement for an illustrated embodiment to the exclusion of embodiments described with reference thereto.
The description that follows includes sample systems, methods, and apparatuses that embody various elements of the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that the described disclosure may be practiced in a variety of forms in addition to those described herein.
The present disclosure describes systems, devices, and techniques related to systems for accessing the interior portion of a primary package after assembly, perhaps at a different location than the initial assembly. This allows for the convenient and undisruptive insertion of secondary packages, samples, components, and the like. This is particularly advantageous when the secondary packages, samples, components, and the like are perishable items or items that have a limited shelf-life. According to one exemplary embodiment, the system for accessing the interior portion of a primary package after assembly includes a die-cut and hinged “trap door” which enables access to the interior of the package, is re-closable, and is die-cut into an exterior wall of the primary container.
Systems and methods described herein are presented in the context of the packaging of an appliance such as a Keurig coffee maker, or other beverage machine, including beverage machines for the production of alcoholic beverages, but can be applied to any number of manufactured articles that are manufactured and packaged at a remote location from the final distribution center. Additionally, the systems and methods may be used with any manufactured article that may be manufactured and packaged prior to final shipment, but that would benefit from the insertion of a perishable item or an item that has a lower shelf-life than the likely storage time of the manufactured item, prior to final shipping.
Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which assist in illustrating various features of the present disclosure. The following description is presented for purposes of illustration and description. Furthermore, the description is not intended to limit the inventive aspects to the forms disclosed herein. Consequently, variations and modifications commensurate with the following teachings, and skill and knowledge of the relevant art, are within the scope of the present inventive aspects.
The illustrated secondary packaging 120 is configured to house adjunct materials associated with the appliance. The adjunct materials may be consumables associated with an operation of the appliance. Possible consumables include beverage pods or other consumables that have a defined shelf-life, including various teas, coffees, alcohols, soups, carbonation cartridges, and variations and derivatives thereof.
The packaging system 100 may operate to allow for insertion of the secondary package 120 into an interior space of the primary package 110, without opening a primary access flap or other opening that is configured for the assembled appliance. In this regard, the adjunct materials of the secondary packaging 120 may be added to the interior space of the primary packaging 110 without disturbing the appliance or other primary contents of the primary packaging. The primary packaging 110 may therefore maintain a position, orientation, assemblage, and so on of the appliance or other primary contents within the interior space while the secondary packaging 120 is advanced into the primary packaging 110. The secondary packaging 120 is therefore inserted into the primary packaging 110 in an efficient and economical manner that may avoid repackaging or other rework associated with the appliance packaged in the primary package 110.
It will be appreciated that the primary and secondary packages described herein may be constructed in a variety of shapes, sizes, and from a variety of different materials, in order to accommodate the contents being packaged. In the example of
The primary packaging 110 also includes a primary access flap 114, shown in
The primary package 110 and secondary packaging 120 may be formed of any appropriate material used for packaging of appliances or other manufactured and/or associated articles. According to one exemplary embodiment, cardboard, a polymer, paper, cardstock, a laminate material, a composite based material, and the like may be used. In some cases, a corrugated material may be used to provide additional structural stiffness to the resulting packaging structures, or portions thereof.
The packaging system 100 may generally include an opening feature to allow for the convenient and undisruptive insertion of secondary packaging, for example, subsequent to packaging and shipping primary contents, including an appliance. In the embodiment of
The opening feature 130 is shown in the example illustrated embodiments as a hinged door defined, in part, by perforations 131 formed through one or more of the walls 112. It will be appreciated that the opening feature 130 may also include, or be, various other doors, seals, locks, sliding features, windows, screens, and so forth, to facilitate the functionality of the opening feature 130 described herein.
Broadly, the opening feature 130 provides the utility of inserting adjunct and/or essential materials at a location separate from the primary assembly location without requiring the opening of the primary (major or minor) flaps (e.g., primary flap 114) of the primary packaging 110. The adjunct and/or essential materials may be free or may, alternatively, be contained within the secondary packaging 120.
As described herein, the opening feature 130 may be a hinged door formed by one or more of the walls 112 of the primary package 110. For example, a portion of the walls 112 may include the perforations 131 that extend substantially through a thickness of the wall 112. The perforations 131 may extend along three distinct, and connected lines, such as that shown in
According to one exemplary embodiment, the perforations 131 formed through the wall 112 of the primary packaging 110 are die-cut into the exterior wall of the primary package 110 prior to assembly. Alternatively, the perforations 131 may be formed of any number of manufacturing methods, including, but in no way limited to, laser cutting, punching, pressing, stamping, and so on. Furthermore, the perforations 131 may be formed through the wall 112 of the primary packaging 110 after the assembly of the primary package 112, such as in an assembly-line manufacturing process.
The opening feature 130 described herein may generally be re-closable or re-sealable. For example, the opening feature 130 is configured to articulate over a secondary opening, thereby allowing for insertion of the secondary packaging 120 into the interior space of the primary packaging 110. Subsequent to insertion of the secondary packaging 120, the opening feature may further be articulated to cover the secondary opening, and enclose the secondary packaging 120 within the interior space of the primary packaging 110.
According to one embodiment, the adjunct or sample materials are housed in the secondary package 120. Alternatively, the adjunct or sample materials may be inserted into the primary packaging 110 via the opening feature 130 without being housed in the secondary packaging 120, wherein they will be loose articles within the primary packaging 110.
As illustrated, the secondary package 120 can be sized to securely pass through the opening feature 130, when it is opened. For example, as described in greater detail below, one or more internal features of the primary packaging 110, such as a shelf, a divider, an internal wall, and so forth, may define a compartment or other feature that retains the secondary packaging 120 within the interior space of the primary packaging. In some cases, this interior feature may help establish a friction fit with the secondary packaging 120, for example, in order to retain the secondary packaging securely within the interior space. Alternatively, the secondary packaging 120 or the loose adjunct or sample materials may be significantly smaller than the opening defined by the perforated door 130.
As described above,
With reference to
The primary contents 102 are shown in
With reference to
As shown in
To facilitate separating the hinged door from the remainder of the wall 112 of the primary packaging 110, a digit engagement feature 134 may be formed along a free edge. The digit engagement feature 134 includes a small cutout forming a recess in the hinged door. The digit engagement feature 134 allows for a user's finger to engage the door and provide sufficient force to break the connections between the perforations, allowing the door to bend and hinge upon its at least one connected edge (e.g., hinged edge 132), thereby allowing access to the internal portion of the primary packaging 110. While the digit engagement feature 134 is illustrated as a small cutout or recess, any number of engagement features may be used, including, but in no way limited to, a tab, a mating feature, and the like.
According to one embodiment, the opening feature 130 is configured to be a hinged door re-closeable after the bending motion, allowing for the closure and sealing, for example, of the door. Closure of the opening feature 130 may be secured by an interference engagement between the edge of the opening feature 130 and the mating perforated edges of the primary packaging 110. Alternatively, another engagement feature can be formed to ensure closure. Furthermore, an adhesive or a sealing member may be used to securely close the opening feature 130 to the primary packaging 110 after use.
As illustrated in
According to one exemplary embodiment, the internal compartment 200 is at least partially defined by a plurality of internal compartment walls 220. As shown, the internal compartment walls 220 can form or define the internal compartment 200, separating the adjunct or sample materials or the secondary packaging 120 from the appliance or other elements contained within the primary packaging 110. This separation can protect (e.g., define a protective barrier about) the adjunct or sample materials or the secondary packaging 120 during subsequent shipping, transport, or distribution.
The internal shelf 218, along with other internal features of the primary packaging 110 may also help receive and secure the secondary packaging 120 within the interior space. For example, the internal shelf 218 may provide a platform or internal support, upon which the secondary packaging 120 may slide onto and rest within the primary packaging 110.
As described herein, the secondary packaging 120 may fit snuggly or securely within the primary packaging. In one embodiment, one or more of the internal compartment walls 220, internal feature 216, internal shelf 218, and/or other feature may establish a friction fit with the secondary packaging 120. The friction fit may operate to restrain movement of the secondary packaging 120 within the primary packaging 110, which may facilitate subsequent transport and sale activities.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the internal compartment walls 220, internal feature 216, internal shelf 218, and so on are assembled and coupled to the internal surface of the primary packaging 110 during assembly of the primary packaging 110. Coupling techniques include using any number of adhesives, fasteners, or assembly methods, including, but in no way limited to, glue, staples, and the like.
Additionally, as shown in
When assembled, the internal door 210 can mate with the hinged perforated door 130. According to one exemplary embodiment, the internal door 210 is formed as part of an interior wall of the primary packaging 110 and processed to include perforations similar to the hinged door defined by the opening feature 130. Alternatively, the internal door 210 can be a floating hinged flap that is not structurally connected to either an internal layer of the primary packaging 110 or the internal compartment walls 220. Moreover, similar to the hinged door of the opening feature, the internal door 210 can include a hinged surface that may include a formed relief, a reduced amount of material, or another hinge feature to facilitate the hinging motion. Alternatively, the material used to form the internal door 210 may be sufficiently weak to create a bending site at the hinged edge when a bending force is exerted on the internal door 210.
For example, the secondary packaging 120 may slide into the internal compartment 200. Within the internal compartment 200, the secondary packaging 120 may rest or otherwise be supported by the internal shelf 218, the structural walls 200, the internal feature 216, and/or other structures of the primary packaging 110. In the position illustrated in the example of
To facilitate the reader's understanding of the various functionalities of the embodiments discussed herein, reference is now made to the flow diagram in
In this regard, with reference to
At operation 604, packaging material may be laid out. The packaging material may be pre-cut into a desired pattern to form the primary packaging 110, or the packaging material may be customized to form the desired primary packaging. For example and with reference to
At operation 608, access doors may be die cut. For example and with reference to
At operation 612, the primary packaging may be assembled, including coupling the outer walls of the primary packaging 110. For example and with reference to
At operation 616, the appliance can then be packaged in the primary packaging. Subsequently, the primary packaging can then be shipped (with the primary contents or appliance) from the primary manufacturing assembly.
In this regard, a primary packaging may be provided so that at operation 616, primary contents may be packaged therein. For example, and with reference to
Accordingly, operation 616 may involve packaging primary contents with the primary package. For example and with reference to
At operation 620, the primary package may be received at a secondary location. At the secondary location, an interior of the primary packaging may be accessed via access doors. For example and with reference to
At operation 624, secondary items are inserted into the interior space of the primary packaging. This occurs without opening a primary access flap and/or otherwise disturbing primary contents of the primary packaging. For example and with reference to
At operation 628, the secondary packaging and associated adjunct materials may be sealed within the primary packaging. For example and with reference to
Other examples and implementations are within the scope and spirit of the disclosure and appended claims. For example, features implementing functions may also be physically located at various positions, including being distributed such that portions of functions are implemented at different physical locations. Also, as used herein, including in the claims, “or” as used in a list of items prefaced by “at least one of” indicates a disjunctive list such that, for example, a list of “at least one of A, B, or C” means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Further, the term “exemplary” does not mean that the described example is preferred or better than other examples.
The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, uses specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the described embodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the specific embodiments described herein are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not targeted to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings.
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/557,348 filed on 12 Sep. 2017, titled “Secondary Insertion Feature for Assembled Package”, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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