Package for Displaying a Product

Abstract

The present invention provides a package that can be used with products of a variety of size and/or shape products. The invention further relates to the use of a package that comprises purchase inducements to increase the sales of the product. The package for displaying a product comprises a strip of substantially rigid material, having a first end and a second end and an inner surface and an outer surface, configured to form a shape to encircle the product and to frictionally engage an outer surface thereof with the inner surface of the strip at two or more points of contact, wherein the first end and second ends of the strip are configured to link continuously. The package may also comprise a plurality of strips of substantially rigid material, each strip having a first end and a second end and an inner surface and an outer surface, configured to form a shape to encircle the product and to frictionally engage an outer surface thereof with the inner surface of the strip at two or more points of contact, the first ends and second ends of each strip being configured to link continuously.

Description

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material to which a claim of copyright protection is made. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but reserves all other rights whatsoever.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to packaging, particularly a package for displaying a product.

BACKGROUND

Sealed product containers are used with a wide variety of products in the marketplace. For example, plastic tubes and glass jars are used in such industries as cosmetics, food, pharmaceuticals, household, personal care and industrial products packaging to hold products such as paints, gels, liquid soaps, glues, creams and shampoos. There are a variety of product containers known to those in the art such as plastic or glass vials or bottles, lidded jars, squeezable envelopes or tearable strip envelopes. Other types of products do not require a sealed container such as soaps or candles.

Products are most often sold with the labels and any writing, logos, indicia, located directly on the container (primary packaging) in which the actual product is contained and then such containers are placed directly on shelves for customers to purchase. If additional packaging is used with such primary packaging, such packaging has typically been a classic box into which the product container is placed. Packaging is designed to serve the dual role of protecting the product inside and providing means of presenting the product to the public. Packaging can convey additional information to the consumer. Packaging often provides the product with the ability to “stand-alone” on a shelf or can be designed for a hanging display. Various types of packaging have been disclosed in the art.

DE 0108 595 discloses a packaging that has a back wall and a front wall which are linked at the top, a bottom wall and a platform surface, parallel to the bottom wall, which is linked to the front wall, back wall. The platform is intended to provide some additional supporting means to the product displayed within the packaging. The front wall and back wall are linked via the bottom wall via a tab that fits into an opening at a fold between the bottom side of the front wall and the bottom wall.

U.S. Pat. No. 1,367,174 discloses packaging with open sides which can be readily assembled from a blank so as to provide a bottom wall, front wall and a supporting partition with the space between the two walls being sufficient as to allow the proper supporting of the product and the bottom sized appropriately to prevent the lateral displacement of the product.

Canadian Patent No. 1,010,421 discloses cartons adapted for storing and displaying squeeze tubes, particularly cartons having means for retaining the squeeze tube in position in a display opening within the carton. The carton has a transversal opening cut in the front panel to form an upper retaining section and a lower section divided into shadow panels and a cap restraining section located at the bottom of the opening to frictionally engage the cap and hold the tube into position.

Canadian Patent No. 2,417,599 discloses a carton for holding one or more articles and comprises an article retaining structure for preventing the dislodging of the packaged article(s) through the open ends of the carton. A retaining panel extends between the walls to form a tubular structure in cooperation with the top wall and comprises at least one article receiving aperture. The tubular retaining structure is provided with a brace for retaining the tubular structure in an erected form.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,043 discloses packaging for a bottle having a relatively short base section and a folded wrap around section. The base section contains an aperture adapted to receive and provide additional support to the bottle and the wrap around section extends from the back of the base section over the top of the bottle and down to the front of the base. A window is provided at the front of the wrap around section and allows the top portion of the bottle to extend through the window. The wrap around section leaves the majority of the bottle exposed through the open sides.

DE 42 18 290 discloses a package for a tube consisting of a longitudinal section having at least two folding regions to form a base and two leg portions which are folded as to form a tube-like structure having a triangular cross section and one piece upper portion which is formed by both of said legs being connected by adhesive. One leg has a cut out portion a part of which is folded into the space of the triangular cross section of said tubular base to form a support for the base of a tube. The upper end of the tube is held by a latch being cut from the other leg in the upper vertical section commonly formed by said two legs being connected to one another.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,282 discloses an open ended display carton for an elongated article such as a tube or the like. The carton is formed from a cut and scored blank ad comprises a generally rectangular base panel having a first end structure foldably connected at one end thereof for supporting an end of said tube. The other end of the base panel has a second end structure foldably connected thereto and supporting the opposite end of the tube, both structures having abutments located at the fold lines thereof for location and support of the ends of the tube.

DE 297 02 982 discloses packaging for small containers which has a front wall, a back wall and a bottom wherein the front wall has an opening, the contour of which is smaller than the contour of the small container. The packaging is made from a rectangular strip having embossments which when folded, divide the strip into sections that form the front wall, back wall and bottom and a securing latch. A slot is provided between the bottom and the securing latch as to receive an insertion latch at the opposite end of the strip. Another section of the strip connected to the back wall covers the front wall in the folded condition of the package for added stability of the packaging.

Canadian Industrial Design No. 97167 discloses packaging for bottle or tube which comprises two rectangular legs joined together by a base wherein one of said rectangular legs is slightly longer than the other allowing for a folded portion to seal the packaging. The packaging is essentially rectangular from a front perspective view and is triangular from a side perspective view. The product to be packaged would be entirely contained within this packaging with no open sides or cut-outs.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,413,075 discloses stand-alone packaging for tubes which has a front wall and a back wall linked together at the top side and a bottom wall and a platform surface, which is linked to the back wall and the front wall. The back wall at its bottom side has a tab that fits into an opening at a fold between the bottom side of an interior front wall and the bottom wall. The platform surface is connected to the bottom wall by the interior front wall, which becomes visible when opening the back wall. The platform surface has a flap linking the platform surface to the front wall, preferably by gluing. The platform surface is parallel to the bottom wall and has an opening in which the tube fits. Also disclosed is use of a strip of material to be transformed into the stand-alone package wherein the strip is linked together at two points, one at the top and the other at the front wall where the platform surface is linked to it.

This background information is provided to reveal information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a package for displaying a product. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention there is provided a package for displaying a product comprising a strip of substantially rigid material, having a first end and a second end and an inner surface and an outer surface, configured to form a shape to encircle said product and to frictionally engage an outer surface thereof with said inner surface at two or more points of contact, wherein said first end and second end are configured to link continuously.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a package for displaying a product comprising a plurality of strips of substantially rigid material, each strip having an inner surface and an outer surface, configured to form a shape to encircle said product and to frictionally engage an outer surface thereof with said inner surface at two or more points of contact, wherein said plurality of strips are configured to link continuously.

In accordance with an aspect of the invention there is provided a package which further comprises at least one purchase inducement on at least one surface of the package wherein said purchase inducement comprises at least one of exuberant design or phrases.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

These and other features of the invention will become more apparent in the following detailed description in which reference is made to the appended drawings.

FIG. 1 presents a perspective view of one embodiment of the package of the present invention.

FIG. 2 presents a top view of the outer surface of the embodiment set forth in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 presents a top view of the inner surface of the embodiment set forth in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 presents a side view of one embodiment of the package containing a product.

FIG. 5 presents a front facing view of one embodiment of the package containing a front facing product.

FIG. 6 presents a front facing view of one embodiment of the package containing a front facing product.

FIG. 7 presents a front facing view of one embodiment of the package containing a side facing product.

FIG. 8 presents a front facing view of one embodiment of the package containing two products.

FIG. 9 presents a front facing view of one embodiment of the package containing a product.

FIG. 10 presents a close-up view of one embodiment of the package linking means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs.

The invention will now be described with reference to specific examples. It will be understood that the following examples are intended to describe embodiments of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention in any way.

The present invention involves a package that can be used with products having a variety of sizes and/or shapes. The invention further relates to the use of a package that comprises purchase inducements to increase the sales of the product.

In one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a package (10) for displaying a product as shown in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, the package comprises a strip (12) of substantially rigid material having a first end (14) and a second end (16) and an inner surface (18) and an outer surface (20), configured to form a shape (22) to encircle said product (24) and to frictionally engage an outer surface thereof with said inner surface at two or more points of contact (26). The first end and second end of the strip are configured to link continuously (28) as illustrated in FIG. 4. In this embodiment of the invention the strip comprises embossed lines (30) for points of folding to form a three sided package that comprises two equal or near equal length sides (32) continuous with a base (34). The strip has two surfaces, one of which will provide the outer surface (20) and the other the inner surface (18) once the strip has been folded into a shape. The strip can be generally rectangular in shape or, can be any other random shape that still allows for proper folding and containment of the product.

The two equal or near equal sides formed by the strip may be attached (28) near the top of the package or at any point of contact between the ends of the strip. The means for linking the ends of the strip together may involve a number of methods. By way of example, the attachment means could be at least one of glue, sticker, mechanical interlocking elements (60, 62), an additional clasp or any other means known to those of skill in the art. A worker skilled in the art could readily determine the appropriate materials for the strip to construct the package of the invention. For example, the package may be constructed out of card, paper, plastic or combinations thereof.

In all embodiments of the invention the product frictionally engages with the inner surface of the package between at least two points of contact (26) on the outer surface of the product (36), as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, such that the package provides a stable retaining of the product thereby preventing the product from falling out from either open side (38) of the package during routine storage or display. The retaining of the product within the package can range between the product being easily removable from the package by pulling it out from an open side (38) of the package, allowing the consumer to fully view the product and then replace the product within the package without any damage to the package. The product fits snuggly in this portion of the retaining range. The other end of the retaining range would involve the product being secured within the package such that it could not be removed through the opening but only viewed through said opening and would therefore require the dismantling or destruction of the package to remove the product.

In another embodiment of the invention the product is not retained within the package but is placed freely, with no frictional engagement, within the inner surface of the package for embodiments wherein the package does not experience a great deal of handling or movement.

The package can be sized to fit the size and shape of any product container (24). In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a package as shown in FIG. 5. In this embodiment, a strip of substantially rigid material is configured to form a four sided package that is comprised of a contiguous package with two equal or near equal length sides (40) and two equal or near equal length top (42) and bottom (44) ends. It will be readily appreciated by a worker skilled in the art that once the strip is formed into a shape, the shape reveals multiple surfaces that can be used to frictionally engage with the product container.

In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a package as illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7 and FIG. 9. In these embodiments, a strip of substantially rigid material is configured to form a substantially circular shape (46) or semi-circular shape (48). It will be readily understood by a worker skilled in the art that the strip may form any known geometric or whimsical shape depending on the requirements of the product to be retained by the package.

In another embodiment of the present invention there is provided the manufacture of package to display a product, for example but not limited to, within a sealed plastic tube.

An alternative embodiment of the present invention involves a non-contiguous package (48) wherein the shape of the package is formed by a plurality of strips joined by linking means such as ribbon (54) or string laced through apertures, glue, interlocking elements as illustrated in FIG. 10 such as tongue (60) and groove (62) or mechanical means such as staples or pins yet still allowing for the frictional engagement of the product within the package. Another embodiment includes a combination of contiguous and non-contiguous strips to form a shape as illustrated in FIG. 8.

In another embodiment of the present invention the package comprises further attachment of one of the two open sides, thereby still allowing the purchaser to examine the product retained in the package through single opening.

A further embodiment of the present invention allows for the package to contain an aperture (56) or cut-out on at least one point on the surface of the strip. This aperture or cut-out would allow the package to be hung on store displays by hanging means such as ribbons (58), strings, hooks, tabs, wires, or other hanging means known to those skilled in the art.

In any embodiment it is understood that the product may be placed within the package such that the product information is displayed to the consumer, for example FIGS. 6 or 9, or may be placed in a side-plane view to the consumer as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 7. The purchasing public can see the product (24) and if desired by the seller, the product within the primary package if applicable. Moreover, in one embodiment, the purchaser can easily remove the product through either of the open sides (38) without having to open or destroy the package. The purchaser can then easily replace the container back into the additional package after examining the container.

In yet a further embodiment of the present invention, the package can have purchase inducements such as patterns, logos, additional information, colors, and the like, printed on the inner surface (18), the outer surface (20) or both of the strip to further enhance the attractiveness and/or desire to purchase the product. The purchase inducement comprises at least one of exuberant design or exuberant phrase. These exuberant designs and phrases provide a way to communicate with the consumer, particularly women, that they are beautiful in their essence. Specifically, to communicate with the consumer in a manner that supports, rather than undermines their self-esteem, while providing them with quality products in a quality package that celebrates their inherent beauty. The design of the packaging is exuberant, joyously unrestrained, enthusiastic, and elaborate in style with colours that are bright and cheery with the design typically based on the ingredients contained within the product, such as but not limited to plant and floral life. Exuberant phrases are messages written in a lyrical style, typically but not limited to a love letter to the consumer, to evoke a sense of well being and acceptance in the consumer by validating and supporting that which they already are.

In another embodiment of the invention the package allows the consumer to easily view and/or handle the product and replace the product within the package without opening or destroying the package.

In another embodiment of the invention the package must be opened or destroyed before the consumer can directly handle the product.

In another embodiment of the invention the package retains the product by frictional engagement between the outer surface of the product and the inner surface of the package without the need for extra elements or pieces of package to maintain the product secured into position within the package such as lining up the product information with a predetermined cut-out or to directly engage the cap or cover of the product resulting in additional manufacturing costs.

In another embodiment of the invention the package is easy and cost-efficient to manufacture and to configure to a variety of products.

In another embodiment the package is designed to immediately engage the consumer through the use of exuberant designs comprising whimsical depictions of plant and floral life in bright and cheery colours.

In another embodiment the package is designed to immediately engage the consumer through the use of exuberant phrases such as a love letter to the consumer which validates and supports the consumer's well being.

It is obvious that the foregoing embodiments of the invention are examples and can be varied in many ways. Such present or future variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A package for displaying a product comprising:

a strip of substantially rigid material, having a first end and a second end and an inner surface and an outer surface, configured to form a shape to encircle said product and to frictionally engage an outer surface thereof with said inner surface at two or more points of contact,

wherein said first end and second end are configured to link continuously.

2. The package of claim 1, wherein said frictional engagement between said inner surface of the package and said outer surface of the product retains the product within the package.

3. The package of claim 2, wherein said product is retained within said package in a retaining range which ranges between the product being removable and replaceable within the package and the product being removable only upon destruction of the package.

4. The package of claim 1, wherein said first end and said second end are configured to link continuously via at least one linking means.

5. The package of claim 4, wherein said at least one linking means is glue, sticker, interlocking elements or an additional clasp.

6. The package of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said substantially rigid material is card, paper, plastic or a combination thereof.

7. The package of claim 6, wherein said substantially rigid material is card.

8. The package of claim 1 further comprising an aperture in the strip.

9. The package of claim 8, further comprising hanging means coupled with the aperture for hanging the package.

10. The package of claim 9, wherein said hanging means comprises ribbons, strings, hooks, tabs or wires.

11. The package of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein said package contains at least one purchase inducement on at least one of the inner surface, outer surface or a combination thereof.

12. The package of claim 11, wherein said purchase inducement comprises at least one exuberant design or phrase.

13. The package according to claim 12, wherein said exuberant design comprises a whimsical depiction of plant and floral life in bright and cheery colours.

14. The package according to claim 12, wherein said exuberant phrase is a love letter to the consumer which validates and supports the consumer's well being.

15. The package of claim 12, wherein said shape is a triangle.

16. The package of claim 15, wherein said triangle is an isosceles triangle.

17. A package for displaying a product comprising:

a plurality of strips of substantially rigid material, each strip having an inner surface and an outer surface, configured to form a shape to encircle said product and to frictionally engage an outer surface thereof with said inner surface at two or more points of contact,

wherein said plurality of strips are configured to link continuously.

18. The package of claim 17, wherein said strips are configured to link continuously via at least one linking means.

19. The package of claim 18, wherein said at least one linking means is material laced through apertures, glue, interlocking elements or mechanical elements.

20. The package of claim 17, wherein said frictional engagement between said inner surface of the package and said outer surface of the product retains the product within the package.

21. The package of claim 20, wherein said product is retained within said package in a retaining range which ranges between the product being removable and replaceable within the package and the product being removable only upon destruction of the package.

22. The package of any one of claims 17 to 21, wherein said substantially rigid material is card, paper, plastic or a combination thereof.

23. The package of claim 22, wherein said substantially rigid material is card.

24. The package of claim 17 further comprising an aperture in at least one strip.

25. The package of claim 24, further comprising hanging means coupled with the aperture.

26. The package of claim 25, wherein said hanging means comprises ribbons, strings, hooks, tabs or wires.

27. The package of any one of claims 17 to 26, wherein said package contains at least one purchase inducement on at least one of the inner surface, outer surface or a combination thereof.

28. The package of claim 25, wherein said purchase inducement comprises at least one exuberant design or phrase.

29. The package according to claim 28, wherein said exuberant design comprises a whimsical depiction of plant and floral life in bright and cheery colours.

30. The package according to claim 12, wherein said exuberant phrase is a love letter to the consumer which validates and supports the consumer's well being.

31. The package of claim 28, wherein said shape is a triangle.

32. The package of claim 31, wherein said triangle is an isosceles triangle.