Packaging and Display Case For Dissimilar Objects

Abstract

Display packages for displaying two dissimilar articles in a side-by side configuration are disclosed. The display package comprises an outer box structure and an inner partition member. The inner partition member defines a first cell for holding the first product in the completed package. The outer box structure at least partially defines a second cell for holding the second article in the completed package. An adjustable article retaining member assists to hold the first article in its proper position. Both articles can be seen through a display window allowing for viewing of the front panel of each of the two articles. The inner components of the package are not visible through the display window allowing for a crisp presentation of both products within the package.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of PCT Application No. PCT/CN2011/076,692 filed on Jun. 30, 2011.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to packaging made from material such as cartonboard. In particular, the invention relates to packaging formed from a single structure and having two compartments capable of holding and displaying dissimilar articles while allowing for good viewing of both articles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Packaging structures for supporting one or more articles and displaying them for sale have been known in a wide variety of arrangements and configurations. In particular, many consumer products (such as articles for personal care or hygiene) are typically placed in packaging and display materials that do not represent an undue cost in relation to the overall cost of the product. Cardboard or cartonboard material is a popular and suitable material for packaging such products.

It has been recognized in the art that it is often desirable to package and display a pair of articles of different shapes or sizes in the same overall packaging container. While several suitable approaches have been employed, these have typically suffered from one or more drawbacks or tradeoffs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,609 describes one common approach in which a pair of vertically disposed telescoping sleeves (e.g. and inner sleeve and an outer sleeve are employed). This approach does allow for products of dissimilar shape or size to be displayed in separate compartments. Additionally, the approach allows for good alignment of each product holding compartment with a display window allowing for sufficient desired viewing of each object within the package without significant compromise on product retention within the package. The approach does not, however, allow the overall package to be constructed from a single blank of cartonboard material. Rather, two completely independent initial package components are required.

Some approaches have utilized a single blank of cartonboard material from which to construct a two-compartment package for two articles. These have typically introduced other disadvantages, however. Common among these disadvantages are the inability of such packages to hold articles of dissimilar size and to flexibly allow for variation in the relative sizes of the articles to be held and displayed. Other approaches allowing for a single blank formed package to contain articles of dissimilar size have not advantageously displayed both articles. For example, when displaying two articles in a single package for sale it is often desirable to do so in a manner where substantial portions of the front panel of each article may be seen by the prospective purchaser and where the internal elements of the package separating the items from each other are not seen (that is, the two articles are seen by the purchaser as being side-by-side in the package).

It is, therefore, an unmet need in the art to provide a package for displaying two dissimilar articles for sale where the package may easily and efficiently be constructed from a single blank of material. Such a package should allow for viewing of a substantial portion of the front panel of each of the articles while retaining each article securely and independently in the package in a manner where the internal partition elements are not seen through the packaging display window. Rather, such partition elements are hidden by the packaging and the product itself providing a crisp-looking side-by-side appearance, without internal separation (when viewed from the outside) of the products within the package.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A display package according to the invention is formed from a one piece blank of material for displaying a first and a second article of differing size in side by side relation. The package has an outer box structure having opposing front and back walls, opposing top and bottom walls, and opposing first and second side walls. The opposing walls are connected to form the outer box structure. The front wall contains a product viewing window formed therein which allows for viewing of the front panel of each of said first and second articles packaged within said display package. The package further contains an inner partition member foldably connected to the outer box structure. The inner partition member defines a first cell for retaining the first article upon placement of the first article within the cell. The inner partition member has an adjustable article retaining member to retain the first article in position within said package. The package also has a second cell for containing and retaining the second article. The second cell is adjacent the first cell and is defined at least in part by the outer box structure. When the first and second articles are placed and secured in the package, they are retained in a side by side relationship. Additionally, the front panel of each of the first and the second articles may be viewed through the product viewing window. The inner partition member is not visible through the product viewing window when viewing the first and second articles through the product viewing window.

In some embodiments of the invention, the package may be configured such that substantially all of the front panel of each of the first and the second articles may be viewed through the product window. Desirably, at least 60% of the front panel of each of the first and second articles may be viewed through the product window.

In some embodiments of the invention, the inner partition member defines a cell at least partially separating the first article from all walls of the outer box structure.

In some embodiments, the dimensions of the inner partition member and the first cell defined thereby may be adjusted in thickness and height to accommodate first products of differing size without changing the dimensions of the outer box structure.

The package of the invention may be employed to retain and display first and second personal care products.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the specification concludes with claims which particularly point out and distinctly claim the invention, it is believed that the present invention will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the appended claims and accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify identical elements and wherein;

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank used to make a package embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a completed and unopened package of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a partially folded package in which the interior features of the package can more clearly be seen.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a blank used to make a package of a second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIG. 1, a display package 20 according to the present invention is formed from a one piece blank of material. The display package 20 may be made from any suitable material which may be folded and provides sufficient rigidity for storing and protecting the items packaged therein. Cellulose-based materials such as cardboard, cartonboard, or cardstock are typical and suitable. In particular, high-quality materials which can be easily printed on or which exhibit a glossy or other desired surface feature may be particularly preferred.

Generally, the display package 20 comprises two basic sections, the outer box structure 60 and an inner partition member 80. The outer box structure 60 comprises opposing front wall 22 and back wall 24, together with opposing top wall 26 and bottom wall 28 and opposing first side wall 30 and second side wall 32. These opposing walls are connected to each other as shown in FIG. 1 along longitudinal fold lines 25, 23, 31 and transverse fold lines 27, 29. The longitudinal fold lines 25, 23, and 31 and the transverse fold lines 27 and 29 may be made by any suitable process such as by scoring or other weakening of the blank material. They allow for folding of the outer box structure walls 60 into their completed opposed positions (shown in FIG. 2). End flaps 36, 40 and end flaps 34, 38 are associated with first side wall 30 and second side wall 32, respectively. The end flaps 36, 40, 34, and 38 are connected to their respective side walls along transverse fold lines such as transverse fold lines 37, 41, 35, and 39 allowing for folding of the end flaps 36, 40, 34 and 38 along the fold lines 37, 41, 35, and 39. As shown in FIG. 1, the end flaps 36, 40, 34, and 38 may have non uniform side dimensions on one or both sides.

The top wall 26 has a top flap 42 joined to it by a top flap fold line 45 which allows for folding between the top wall 26 and the top flap 42. The top flap fold line 45 comprises a slit portion 43 for insertion of top locking flap 46. Top locking flap 46 is disposed at the top edge of back wall 24 and is provided with cut lines 51 which allow for the manipulation and positioning of the top locking flap 46 into slit portion 43.

The bottom wall 28 has a bottom flap 44 joined to it by a bottom flap fold line 49 which allows for folding between the bottom wall 28 and the bottom flap 44. The bottom flap fold line 49 comprises a slit portion 47 for insertion of bottom locking flap 48. Bottom locking flap 48 is disposed at the bottom edge of back wall 24 and is provided with cut lines 53 which allow for the manipulation and positioning of the bottom locking flap 48 into slit portion 47.

The front wall 22 is provided with a cut out viewing window 50. The viewing window may be an empty space through which product stored in the interior of the display package 20 (described in greater detail below) may be viewed, or the viewing window 50 may be covered with a suitable transparent material such as cellophane or a polyester film. The viewing window 50 may be formed by a die-cut and may be any desired shape such as generally rectangular, elliptical, oval, or an irregular shape. As noted above, the second of the two basic sections of the display package 20 is the inner partition member 80. In the unassembled blank shown in FIG. 1, the inner partition member 80 is located adjacent the outer box structure 60 and is connected to the outer box structure 60 along longitudinal fold line 81. Longitudinal fold line 81 allows for folding of the inner partition member 80 components into their assembled configuration.

The inner partition member 80 generally comprises a side panel 82 which is attached to the remainder of the inner partition member 80 along longitudinal fold line 83. The inner partition member 80 is further comprises a back attachment member 86, a front holding member 84, a side holding member 89, and a back holding member 88. When the components of the inner partition member 80 are folded into position (described further below), the back attachment member 86 is glued or otherwise suitable attached to the back wall 24 of the outer box structure 60. The inner partition member 80 also includes an adjustable article retaining member 90 whose function and operation is discussed in greater detail below.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the assembled display package 20 with two dissimilar articles, first article 92 and second article 94 packaged in a side-by-side configuration. The outer box structure 60 forms a six-sided package around the side by side packaged articles. As seen in FIG. 2 a substantial portion of the front panel of each of the first article 92 and second article 94 packaged in the display package 20 is visible through the display window 50 formed in the front panel 22 of the display package 20. The display window 50 may be shaped and sized to allow for as much of the front panel of each of the first article 92 and second article 94 to be seen as possible. Preferably at least 60% of the front panel of each of the first article 92 and second article 94 may be viewed through the display window 50. More preferably, substantially all of each of such front panels may be seen through the display window 50. The display window should also be configured and sized so that the remaining portion of the front panel 24 can still effectively retain each of the first article 92 and second article 94 in the proper position within the display package 20. Additionally, the display window 50 should be sized and configured so that the components of the inner partition member 80 are not ordinarily viewable through the display window 50 when the articles are packaged therein.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2. As can be seen in FIG. 2 the interior of the display package 20 generally comprises first cell 101 and a second cell 102. The first cell 101 is defined by the inner partition member 80 and is used for containing first article 92. One feature of the display package 20 of the present invention is the ability to package two dissimilar articles. One feature which assists in this regard is article retaining member 90. Once first article 92 is placed within first cell 101, the article retaining member 90 may be adjusted into its final position (as shown in FIG. 2) for retaining first article 92 in its position within the package. The manner in which the adjustable article retaining member 90 assists in securing the shorter (with respect to the second article 94) first article 92 can be more clearly seen in FIG. 4. Article retaining member 90 is adjustable and is folded into the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 so that it acts as a top holding portion for the first article 92 within the first cell 101. When the first article 92 is in position within the first cell 101 the components of the inner partition member 80 which define the first cell 101 preferably substantially surround the first article 92. As shown in FIG. 3, the first cell may be bounded on all sides by a combination of the back holding member 88 the side panel 82, the front holding panel 84, and the side holding member 89. These members and panels are sized and shaped to be able to hold securely the first article 92 desired to be packaged in the display package 20. The size and shape of the elements of the first cell 101 are also preferably chosen so that they allow for viewing of the front panel of first article 92 through the viewing window 50 as described above. Additionally, the components of inner partition member 80 preferably should not be seen through the viewing window 50. While in a typical arrangement, the folding lines described in the inner partition member 80 will be a given location based upon the size of the first article 92 relative to the second. It is a relatively easy matter to adjust the relative position of these folding lines as appropriate to account for different sized articles—especially different sized first article 92. For example, if first article 92 is shorter than that shown in FIG. 2, the front holding member 83 and side holding member 89 can be made relatively bigger relative to the back holding member 88. Additionally, the relative size of article retaining member 90 can be correspondingly adjusted to allow for such a change in size of first article 92.

FIG. 4 shows the display package 20 containing first article 92 and second article with the display package 20 in a partially incomplete state to more clear show some of the internal structure. As can be seen in FIG. 4, when the display package 20 is completely closed up, the second cell 102 (shown in FIG. 3) will be defined at least in part by the out box structure 60. Similarly, the components of the inner partition member 80 are shown defining the first cell 101 to hold and retain the first article 92. As shown in FIG. 4 the first cell 101 components (in particular front holding member 84, for example) are shaped and size so that first article 92 can be retained, but so that they will not be seen through the display window 50. Rather, the elements of the inner partition member 80 will either by hidden by the front wall 22, by the first article 92, or by a combination of both.

The back attachment member 86 is attached to the back wall 24 by a suitable means such as by gluing. Back attachment member 86 may be pre-coated with a suitable adhesive or may be attached by and suitable and known process. It may also be desired to attach side panel 82 to the first side wall 30 by a suitable process such as gluing to provide added structural integrity to the completed display package 20. The top flap 26 and bottom flap 28 are folded over the end flaps 40, 38 and 36, 34 respectively and the top locking flap 46 and bottom locking flap 48 are placed within slit portions 43 and 47, respectively.

As can be seen in FIG. 4, if the relative size and shapes of the first article 92 and second article 94 change, then the relative size and location of the various panels and fold lines can easily be correspondingly adjusted to account for such differences. It is also possible to allow for several variants using a single blank. For example, a given second article may be planned for sale with one of several versions of the first article where the height of the first product varies among the versions. In such a situation the adjustable article retaining member 90 may be provided with multiple separation lines so that the adjustable article retaining member 90 can be folded into position at an appropriate height for each first article 92.

FIG. 5 shows a blank from which an alternative embodiment of a display package 220 of the present invention can be made. The embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is similar to that shown in FIG. 1. It also generally comprises two basic sections, the outer box structure 260 and an inner partition member 280. The outer box structure 260 comprises opposing front wall 222 and back wall 224, together with opposing top wall 226 and bottom wall 228 and opposing first side wall 230 and second side wall 232. The nature and arrangement of the fold lines between these sections is similar to that shown in the embodiment in FIG. 1. End flaps 236, 240 and end flaps 234, 238 are associated with first side wall 230 and second side wall 232, respectively. The end flaps are connected to their respective side walls along transverse fold line similar to those described above with regard to FIG. 1. As is the case with the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the end flaps 236, 240, 234, and 238 may have non uniform side dimensions on one or both sides.

The top wall 226 has a top flap 242 joined to it by a top flap fold line 245 which allows for folding between the top wall 226 and the top flap 242. The top flap fold line 245 comprises a slit portion 243 for insertion of top locking flap 246. Top locking flap 246 is disposed at the top edge of back wall 224 and is provided with cut lines 251 which allow for the manipulation and positioning of the top locking flap 246 into slit portion 243.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 5 further comprises a first bottom wall portion 248 and a second bottom wall portion 280. These portions may be complimentary notched as shown in FIG. 5 so that they frictionally interlock with each other when the display package 20 is folded into configuration.

The front wall 222 is provided with a cut out viewing window 250 similar to viewing window 50 shown in FIG. 1. Display package 220 also comprises an inner partition member 280. Inner partition member 280 generally comprises a side panel 282 a back attachment member 286, a front holding member 284, a side holding member 289, and a back holding member 288. These elements are separated from each other by appropriate fold lines similar to those described with regard to FIG. 1. The display package 220 of FIG. 5 is assembled in a manner similar to that described above with regard to FIG. 4. The bottom of the package, however, is formed by the interlocking of first bottom wall portion 248 and second bottom wall portion 280. Both bottom wall portions overlay bottom end tabs 234 and 236. The bottom wall may be held in place solely by frictional engagement or supplemental attachment such as adhesive may also be employed.

The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm.”

Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or related patent or application, is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited. The citation of any document is not an admission that it is prior art with respect to any invention disclosed or claimed herein or that it alone, or in any combination with any other reference or references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such invention. Further, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A display package formed from a one piece blank of material for displaying a first and a second article of differing size in side by side relation, said display package comprising: wherein the first article is shorter than the second article, and the adjustable article retaining member acts as a top holding portion of the first article.

a. an outer box structure comprising opposing front and back walls, opposing top and bottom walls, and opposing first and second side walls, said opposing walls being connected to form said outer box structure and wherein said front wall contains a product viewing window formed therein, said product viewing window allowing for viewing of the front panel of each of said first and second articles packaged within said display package;

b. an inner partition member foldably connected to said outer box structure, said inner partition member defining a first cell for retaining said first article upon placement of said first article within said cell, said inner partition member comprising an adjustable article retaining member to retain said first article in position within said package; and

c. a second cell for containing and retaining said second article, said second cell being adjacent said first cell and defined at least in part by said outer box structure, wherein

d. when said first and second articles are placed and secured in said package, they are retained in a side by side relationship and the front panel of each of said first and said second articles may be viewed through said product viewing window, and wherein said inner partition member is not visible through said product viewing window when viewing said first and second articles through said product viewing window

2. The package of claim 1 wherein substantially all of said front panel of each of said first and said second articles may be viewed through said product window.

3. The package of claim 1 wherein at least 60% of said front panel of each of said first and second articles may be viewed through said product window.

4. A package according to any of the preceding claims wherein said inner partition member defines a cell at least partially separating said first article from all walls of said outer box structure.

5. A package according to any of the preceding claims wherein said first and second articles are personal care products.

6. A package according to any of the preceding claims wherein the dimensions of the inner partition member and first cell defined thereby may be adjusted in thickness and height to accommodate first products of differing size without changing the dimensions of the outer box structure.