Patent Application
20210179315
Product packaging can play a large part in the attractiveness and appeal of products. This may hold especially true with consumable products, where the consumer wants to see at least a representation of the original nature of the product they ingest. This may inform them about the quality and other characteristics of the product's original ingredients.
However, most product packages do not provide a convenient mechanism to provide both a container for a product and a display area, especially in portable or hand-held sizes. No product packages provide a product and display area in an easy to product, cost-effective format.
The embodiments here involve a carton or package for storing and displaying products. While the embodiments here relate to consumable products such as pre-rolls of cannabis products and a display compartment used to provide a representative bud or flower used in the pre-rolls, the discussion is not intended to be limited to those products nor should any such limitation be implied. Any product could be packaged in the product compartment of the package and any representative sample or other item, such a promotional items not related to the product could reside in the display compartment. No limitation to cannabis products, smoking products, or edible or consumable products, is intended and should not be implied.
In this embodiment, the package is held closed by a folded lid, also discussed later, with a slidable sleeve 12 that slides over the package and holds the lid in place. Any other type of closure could be used, including hook and loop closure attachments on the inside of the lid flap that mate with similar attachments on the side of the bottom compartment, magnets, sticky or gummy surfaces, string, insertable tabs, etc. No limitation to any particular closure is intended nor should any be implied.
The sliding sleeve has an advantage in that it provides a printable surface on which the producer can provide information about the contents of the package, including product specifics, weight, expiration dates, sources of product, etc.
One should note that the product compartment insert 26 is optional, as is the display compartment holder 28. Some sort of divider between the two compartments would more than likely be desirable, but the product could reside side-by-side with the displayable item. In one embodiment, the bottom compartment would just comprise one compartment without any divider and the window would just display whatever is in the bottom compartment, such as a concentrate or extract. The display compartment comprises an area of the bottom compartment that contains a displayable item. Either the display compartment or the product compartment may be adjacent the window. Typically, the window will be positioned adjacent the display compartment through which the displayable item can be viewed if no divider is used.
As can be seen, many different options exist and are within the scope of the embodiments here. For example, the window 16 in the lid 14 may comprise a clear plastic or cellophane piece, while the display compartment 24 does not have a cover. One could add a clear cover to the display compartment 24 on the inside of the package as well. Further, one could eliminate the window in the lid, such that users would have to open the package to see the displayable component. The lid itself could be clear, making the entire lid the window and the region of the compartment where the displayable item would reside the display compartment. While this is within the scope of the invention as described here, it would seem to not offer as much an advantage as allowing the consumer to see the displayable item through the lid.
Similarly, in the embodiments here, the packaging material is a card stock, typically thicker than what most users are familiar with as printer paper, and may have varying weights. Card stock may also be referred to as cover stock or pasteboard. This is different than cardboard, which is thicker and much less flexible, and may also be corrugated. Card stock has an advantage in its foldability, allowing the package to be manufactured more easily. For example, a stack of card stock could be punched to from the cutout for the window, then processed to add the clear window covering, cut, scored and folded to form the entire package except for the product compartment insert.
In
To the right of the carton body 40 is the piece that forms the flap 20, bottom insert 22 and display compartment holder 28. This is again the bottom view of that piece. It would be turned over and folded to form the flap, display compartment holder and bottom insert. To provide proper orientation, text labels are given on the various components that match text labels in the previous figures.
To the top right of the figure is the product insert 26, and to the top left is an embodiment of the band 12.
Many materials may be used, including coated materials, such as coated paper, plastic, cardboard, cloth, etc. No limitation to any particular material is intended, nor should one be implied.
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the attached claims.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/946,817 filed Dec. 11, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62946817 | Dec 2019 | US |
