Packaging for retaining and displaying hair bands

Abstract

Packaging for looped articles includes a foldable display element having a first panel adapted for side-by-side retention of the looped articles. The foldable display element further includes second, third and fourth panels and fold lines between the panels to form a box-like structure in which the first panel overlies the second panel and the third and fourth are between the first and second panels opposite each other. A tab panel extending from the first panel is received by a slot in a tab-receiving panel at an opposite end of the display element. The packaging may also include a support ring having a discontinuity extending through its cross section for interlinking receipt of the looped articles. A loop-securing band is received through each of the looped articles and includes opposite ends that are overlapped and secured to each other to define a closed loop interlinked with the articles.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to packaging and more particularly to packaging for display of looped articles, such as hair bands and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Accessories for hair include bands in the form of loops. A common variety of hair band known as a “scrunchie” comprises loops of extensible material that are designed to be stretched and wrapped around gathered hair to form a pony tail, for example. The hair bands may include outer covering on an elastic core element. The outer covering may be enlarged with respect to the elastic core element such that the outer covering defines decorative gathers of material when compressed by the elastic core.

[0003] Prior art packaging for display of extensible, looped, hair bands, include display elements typically made of paperboard. The prior art display elements include a planar portion on which each of a set of hair bands to be displayed is placed in a side-by-side manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] According to the present invention, there is provided packaging for displaying a plurality of looped articles. According to one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a foldable display element including a first panel having opposite sides and opposite ends adapted to receive each of the looped articles such that the loops encircle the first panel in a side-by-side arrangement. The foldable display element further includes second and third panels having opposite ends, the third panel located between the first and second panels. First and second fold lines extend along adjoining ends of the first and third panels and the second and third panels, respectively, such that the first panel overlies at least a portion of the second panel when the display element is folded. The foldable display element further includes a fourth panel having opposite ends and located opposite the third panel with respect to the second panel. A third fold line extends along adjoining ends of the second and fourth panels such that the foldable display element forms a box-like structure when folded in which the third and fourth panels are substantially parallel to each other on opposite ends of the first and second panels.

[0005] The foldable display element also includes a tab panel extending from an end of the first panel at one end of the display element and a tab receiving panel adjacent the fourth panel at an opposite end of the foldable display element. The tab receiving panel includes an elongated slot adapted to receive at least a portion of the tab panel.

[0006] According to another embodiment of the invention, the packaging includes a support member defining a substantially toroidal ring. The support member includes a discontinuity extending through a cross section of the support member to define opposite and adjacent ends for interlinking receipt of the loops by the support member. The packaging further includes an elongated loop securing member received through each of the looped articles. The loop securing member includes opposite surfaces and opposite end portions. The end portions overlap each other such that the opposite surfaces contact one another to define a closed loop.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of packaging according to the present invention shown supporting hair bands;

[0008] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the hair band mounting member of the packaging of FIG. 1 shown in an unfolded condition;

[0009] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the hair band mounting member of FIG. 2 shown in a partially folded condition;

[0010] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the hair band mounting member of FIG. 2 shown in a fully folded condition;

[0011] FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the lines 5-5 of FIG. 1;

[0012] FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the lines 6-6 of FIG. 1;

[0013] FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the hair bands and packaging of FIG. 1; and

[0014] FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of a second embodiment of packaging according to the present invention shown supporting hair bands.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Referring to the drawings, where like numerals identify like elements, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 a packaging assembly 10 according to the present invention for retaining and displaying a set of looped articles such as hair bands 12. Examples of looped articles for which the present invention has application are hair bands known as “scrunchies” such as those disclosed in Design Patent No. Des. 292,030 issued Sep. 22, 1987. Each of the hair bands 12 includes an elastic element (not shown) enclosed within a decorative sheath 14. As shown, the material of the sheath is drawn together by the elastic element to form gathers. The sheath 14 may vary from that shown in the figures and may be enlarged with respect to the elastic element such that the material of the sheath has more of a frill-like appearance.

[0016] Although the packaging assembly 10 is shown in the figure with hair bands 12 comprising endless loops, the present invention is not so limited. The invention has application, for example, to looped articles that are formed from extensible lengths having ends that are secured to each other, as by hook and loop connectors for example.

[0017] The packaging assembly 10 includes a hair band mounting member 16. The hair band mounting member 16 is preferably made from a sheet of foldable material such as paperboard. Referring to FIG. 2, the mounting member 16 is shown in an unfolded condition in the form of a blank. The sheet has a first surface 17 and an opposite second surface 19 (FIGS. 3 and 4). The mounting member 16 includes a first panel 18 having opposite sides 22 defining a hair band receiving portion of the mounting member. The first panel 18 of mounting member 16 receives each of the hair bands 12 such that the loop defined by the hair band encircles panel 18. The height of the first panel 18 is such that it provides for engagement between the hair bands 12 and the first panel 18 without excessive stretching of the elastic elements of the hair bands 12. The first panel 18 retains the hair bands 12 in a side-by-side arrangement, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0018] The hair band mounting member 16 further includes a second panel 24 separated from the first panel 18 by a third panel 26. The mounting member 16 includes a crease line 28 extending along adjoining ends of the first and third panels 18, 26. The mounting member 16 also includes a crease line 30 extending along adjoining ends of the second and third panels 24, 26. The mounting member 16 further includes a fourth panel 32 located opposite the third panel 26 with respect to the second panel 24. A crease line 34 extends along adjoining ends of the second and fourth panels 24, 32. As shown, the distance between the opposite ends of the third and fourth panels 26, 32 is small in comparison with that of the first and second panels 18, 24.

[0019] The mounting member 16 further includes a tab panel 36 extending from an end 38 of the first panel 18 opposite the third panel 26. The mounting member 16 also includes a tab receiving panel 40 extending from an end 42 of the fourth panel 32 opposite the second panel 24 such that the tab panel 36 and the tab receiving panel 40 are located at opposite ends of the mounting member 16. A crease line 44 extends along the end of first panel 18 at the junction between the first panel 18 and the tab panel 36. Similarly, a crease line 46 extends along the end of the fourth panel 32 at the junction between the fourth panel 32 and the tab receiving panel 40.

[0020] The tab panel 36 of the mounting member 16 includes a middle portion 48 extending from the first panel 18 and end portions 50 extending from opposite sides of the middle portion 48. Crease lines 52 extend across the tab panel 36 between the middle portion 48 and the end portions 50 of tab panel 36. The mounting member 16 also includes a slot 54 extending in the tab receiving panel 40 adjacent the adjoining ends of the tab receiving panel and the fourth panel 32. The slot extends for a length approximately equal to, but slightly larger than, that of the middle portion 48 of the tab panel 36 to provide for receipt of the tab panel 36. For reasons to be described in greater detail below, the width of the slot is approximately equal to, but slightly larger than, twice the thickness of the tab panel 36 to provide for receipt of the tab panel 36.

[0021] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the principal steps involved in forming the folded mounting member 16 shown in FIG. 1, from the unfolded blank shown in FIG. 2, are illustrated. The blank is folded along fold lines 28 and 30 such that the third panel 26 is substantially perpendicular to the first and second panels 18, 24 and the first panel 18 is substantially parallel to, and overlies, the second panel 24. The blank is also folded along crease line 34 such that fourth panel 32 is substantially perpendicular to the second panel 24. As shown in FIG. 5, the folded condition for mounting member 16 resembles a box for containing a portion of the hair bands 12. With respect to the view shown in FIG. 1, the first panel 18 defines a front panel of the box, the second panel 24 defines a rear panel of the box and the third and fourth panels 26, 32 define opposite side panels of the box. As shown in FIG. 5, the relatively short distance between the ends of the third and fourth panels 26. 32 with respect to the first and second panels 18, 24 forms a rectangular box having relatively long sides and relatively short ends.

[0022] The blank is further folded along crease lines 44 and 46. The tab panel 36 is then folded along fold lines 52 such that the end portions 50 overly the middle portion 48. The above-described dimensions provided for the slot 54 allow for receipt of the tab panel 36 in the folded condition by the tab receiving panel 40. With the tab panel 36 received by the slot 54, the end portions 50 are extended as shown in FIG. 4 to retain the tab panel within the slot 54 to maintain the folded condition for the mounting member 16 as shown in FIG. 4.

[0023] Referring again to FIG. 1, the packaging assembly 10 further includes a support member 56 substantially toroidal forming a ring-like member. The support ring 56, however, does not define a closed loop and includes a discontinuity 58 extending through the cross section of the ring-like member 56 to form opposite and adjacent ends 60, 62 (FIG. 7). The discontinuity 58 provides for receipt of the set of looped hair bands 12 by the support ring 56 through the discontinuity 58 such that the set of hair bands 12 and the support ring 56 are joined in an interlinking manner.

[0024] The support ring 56 preferably has a cross-section that is a closed-form solid such as the circular cross section seen in FIGS. 6 and 7. The support ring is preferably made from an acrylic polymer material. To facilitate the interlinking of the support ring 56 with the set of hair bands 12, the support ring 56 is preferably formed such that the opposite and adjacent ends are normally offset from one another as seen in FIG. 7.

[0025] The support ring 56 is receivable by a display hook, or the like, for hanging display of the set of hair bands by packaging assembly 10. The support ring 56 may be rotated with respect to the hair bands 12 from the orientation shown in the figures in which the discontinuity 58 is the remotest portion of the ring with respect to the hair bands. Such rotation of the support ring 58 would facilitate its retention on a display hook or the like. Rotation of the support ring 56 of approximately 180 degrees with respect to the hair bands 12 would further provide the benefit of concealment of the discontinuity 58 by the hair bands 12.

[0026] The packaging assembly 10 further includes a loop securing member 64 preferably made from plastic. As best seen in FIG. 5, the loop securing member 64 consists of a band having opposite first and second surfaces 65, 67. The loop securing band 64 also includes opposite end portions 66, 68. The loop securing band 64 is inserted through the loops defined by the set of hair bands 12 for interlink between the loop securing band 64 and the set of hair bands 12 as seen in FIG. 5. The end portions 66, 68 overlapped with one another such that surface 65 of end portion 66 contacts surface 67 of end portion 68. The end portions 66, 68 are secured to one another, such as by an adhesive between the surfaces 65, 67, such that the loop securing band 64 defines a closed loop. The interlinking between the loop securing band 56 and the set of hair bands 12, therefore differs from that between the support ring 56 and the set of hair bands 12 in the following manner. Once the end portions 66, 68 are secured to one another, the individual hair bands 12 cannot be separated from the set of hair bands 12 until the connection between the end portions 66, 68 is broken or the loop securing band 64 is severed.

[0027] The loop securing band 64 is preferably interlinked with the exposed portions of the hair bands 12 such that the loop securing band 64 is positioned forwardly of the mounting member 16 as seen in the front elevational view of FIG. 1 and the sectional view of FIG. 5. In this forward position, the loop securing band 64 will be located adjacent surface 19 of the hair band receiving portion 18 opposite the second panel 24 when the mounting member is in the folded condition as best seen in FIG. 5. Such forward positioning of the loop securing band 64 facilitates use of the loop securing band 64 for displaying product indicia. It is also desirable that the overlapping end portions 66, 68 of the loop securing band 64 be positioned between the hair band 12 and the hair band receiving portion 18 as seen in FIG. 5. The overlapped end portions 66, 68 are concealed by the hair bands 12 when the loop securing band 64 is positioned in this manner.

[0028] The mounting member 16 is shown in FIG. 4 without the hair bands 12 to facilitate the illustration of the folding of mounting member 16. For the folded condition shown in FIG. 1 in which the hair bands are mounted on the mounting member, the hair bands 12 must be received by the hair band receiving portion 18 at least prior to the step of inserting the tab panel 36 within the slot 54. The support ring 56 may be interlinked with the hair bands 56 either before or after the hair bands 12 are received by the hair band receiving portion 18 and either before or after the tab panel 36 is engaged with slot 54. Similarly, the hair band loop securing band 64 may be interlinked with the set of hair bands 12 either before or after the hair bands 12 are received by the hair band receiving portion 18 and either before or after the tab panel 36 engages the slot 54.

[0029] Although mounting member 16 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 5-7 as part of packaging assembly 10, the mounting member 16 could be used separately for displaying a set of hair bands. A slot or opening in the second panel could be provided for receiving a hook of a display rack, or the like, to support the mounting member 16.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 8, there is shown an alternative embodiment of packaging 80 according to the present invention. The packaging 80 includes a support ring 56. The support ring is identical to the support ring 56 of the previous figures having a discontinuity 58 defining opposite ends 60 and 62 for interlinking between the ring 56 and a set of hair bands 12. The packaging 80 also includes a loop securing band 64. The loop securing band 64 is identical to the loop securing member 64 of the previous figures having opposite end portions (not shown) that are overlapped to interlink the loop securing member 64 and the set of hair bands 12. The packaging 80 does not include a mounting member formed from a foldable material. The interlinking of the loop securing band 64 with the set of hair bands 12 in the packaging 80 of FIG. 8 prevents the separation of one or more of the hair bands 12 from the set of hair bands 12. Because of the discontinuity 58 in the support ring 56, the hair bands 12 could be separated from one another absent the interlinking securement provided by the loop securing band 64.

Claims

1. A foldable display element for retaining and displaying a plurality of articles each defining a closed loop, the foldable display element comprising:

a first panel having opposite sides and opposite ends, the first panel adapted to receive each of the articles such that the closed loop encircles the first panel, the first panel providing for retention of the articles in a side-by-side arrangement;

a second panel having opposite ends;

a third panel having opposite ends, the third panel located between the first and second panels, the foldable display including a first fold line extending along adjoining ends of the first and third panels and a second fold line extending along adjoining ends of the second and third panels such that the first panel overlies at least a portion of the second panel when the display element is folded;

a fourth panel having opposite ends, the fourth panel located opposite the third panel with respect to the second panel, the foldable display including a third fold line extending along adjoining ends of the second and fourth panels such that the foldable display element forms a box-like structure when folded in which the third and fourth panels are substantially parallel to each other on opposite ends of the first and second panels;

a tab panel extending from an end of the first panel opposite the third panel; and

a tab receiving panel adjacent the fourth panel opposite the second panel such that the tab panel and the tab receiving panels are located on opposite ends of the display element, the tab receiving panel including an elongated slot adapted to receive at least a portion of the tab panel.

2. A foldable display element according to claim 1 wherein each of the displayed articles is a hair band.

3. The foldable display element according to claim 2, further comprising a fourth fold line extending along a junction of the first panel and the tab panel and a fifth fold line extending along a junction of the fourth panel and the tab receiving panel.

4. The foldable display element according to claim 2, wherein the elongated slot of the tab receiving panel is located adjacent the junction of the tab receiving panel and the fourth panel.

5. The foldable display element according to claim 2, wherein a distance between the opposite ends of third panel and a distance between the opposite ends of the fourth panel are relatively small with respect to that of the first and second panels such that the box-like structure formed by the foldable display element has a rectangular cross section having relatively long sides and relatively short ends.

6. The foldable display element according to claim 2, further including fifth and sixth fold lines extending across the tab panel to define a middle portion and opposite end portions of the tab panel, and wherein the slot of the tab receiving panel has a length and a width adapted to receive the tab panel when the tab panel is folded along the fifth and sixth fold lines.

7. Packaging for retaining and displaying a plurality of articles each defining a loop, the packaging comprising:

a support member comprising a substantially toroidal ring, the substantially toroidal ring including a discontinuity defining opposite and adjacent ends to facilitate interlinking receipt of the loops by the support member; and

an elongated loop securing member received through each of the loops, the securing member having opposite end portions and opposite surfaces, the opposite end portions of the loop securing member overlapping each other such that the opposite surfaces contact one another to define a closed loop.

8. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein the cross section of the support member is solid.

9. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein the cross section of the support member is circular.

10. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein the opposite ends of the support member defined by the discontinuity are normally offset from each other.

11. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein the loop securing member comprises a band having opposite surfaces and opposite ends and wherein the opposite surfaces contact each other at the opposite ends.

12. The packaging according to claim 11, wherein the opposite ends of the loop securing member are secured to one another by an adhesive located between the opposite surfaces.

13. The packaging according to claim 2, further comprising a mounting member including a substantially planar hair band receiving portion, each of the hair band loops encircling the hair band receiving portion such that the hair band loops are retained by the hair band receiving portion in a side-by-side arrangement.

14. The packaging according to claim 13, wherein the mounting member comprises a foldable sheet including a first panel defining the hair band receiving portion, the first panel having opposite ends, the foldable sheet further comprising second and third panels each having opposite ends, the third panel located between the first and second panels, the foldable sheet including a first fold line extending along adjoining ends of the first and third panels and a second fold line extending along adjoining ends of the second and third panels, the fold lines providing a folded condition for the foldable sheet in which the first panel overlies at least a portion of the second panel.

15. The packaging according to claim 14, wherein the foldable sheet further comprises a fourth panel having opposite ends, the fourth panel located opposite the third panel with respect to the second panel, the foldable sheet including a third fold line extending along adjoining ends of the second and fourth panels such that the foldable sheet forms a box-like structure when folded in which the third and fourth panels are substantially parallel to each other on opposite ends of the first and second panels.

16. The packaging according to claim 15 wherein the foldable sheet further comprises a tab panel extending from an end of the first panel opposite the third panel and a tab receiving panel adjacent the fourth panel opposite the second panel such that the tab panel and the tab receiving panels are located on opposite ends of the foldable sheet, the tab receiving panel including an elongated slot adapted to receive at least a portion of the tab panel.

17. The packaging according to claim 16 wherein the tab panel of the foldable sheet includes a pair of fold lines extending across the tab panel to define a middle portion and end portions for the tab panel, the end portions extending from opposite ends of the middle portion such that each of the end portions will overly the middle portion when the tab panel is folded along the pair of fold lines, the slot of the tab receiving panel having a width adapted for receipt of the folded tab panel, the slot further having a length adapted such that the end portions of a tab panel received by the slot will inhibit separation of the tab panel from the tab receiving panel when the end portions of the received tab panel are unfolded.

18. An assembly for supporting and displaying a plurality of looped articles, the assembly comprising:

a display box having opposite front and rear panels and opposite side panels located between the front and rear panels, the front panel being removeably secured to one of the side panels, the plurality of looped articles received by the front panel such that each of the looped articles encircles the front panel;

a support ring having a cross section, the support ring including a discontinuity extending through the cross section to define opposite and adjacent ends, the discontinuity of the support ring providing for receipt of the support ring by each of the looped articles in an interlinked manner;

an elongated article securing band having opposite surfaces and opposite end portions, the securing band received through each of the looped articles, the opposite end portions of the article securing band overlapping each other such that the opposite surfaces contact each other to define a closed loop.