Kit providing a consumer product

Abstract

A kit provides a plurality of a consumer product. The kit includes the plurality of consumer products, a package that at least partially encloses the consumer products. The package includes an indicia that communicates a feature of the consumer products that is unrelated to the direct use of the products.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to kits for providing consumer products. The invention relates particularly to kits for providing a plurality of storage containers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Kits providing consumer products are well known. Kits including a plurality of a particular product or a combination of products together with a package adapted to consolidate the products for display, sale, and transport are also known. Package graphics intended to attract potential shoppers to the package and to educate the shopper regarding beneficial aspects related to the use of the product are also well known.

Kits providing educational information to the shopper regarding additional benefits, unrelated to the direct use of the products, but still intended to encourage the purchase of the kits may facilitate kit sales.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGURE is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following describes kits of the invention including a plurality of a consumer product. For purposes of illustration only, the described kits include a plurality of consumer storage containers. One of skill in the art will understand that the kits of the invention are not limited to this product.

In one embodiment, illustrated in FIGURE, a kit 100 comprises a plurality of storage containers 10. The storage containers comprise component parts including container bodies 12 and covers 14. The containers 10 may be disposable, semi-durable, or durable depending upon the intended market segment and desired price point for the kit. The containers may be manufactured from any material suited to the nature of the intended use of the containers and intended market segment. Exemplary materials include glass, metal, paper, and polymeric materials. The plurality of containers 10 may comprise a number of similarly sized containers or a collection of containers providing a range of sizes. In one embodiment, the container covers 14 comprise a cover interlocking feature 16. The cover interlocking feature 16 enables multiple covers to be releasably attached to each other into a unitized cover configuration. In one embodiment, the material of the covers 14 may be selected with sufficient resilience to enable the cover interlocking feature to comprise forcing a protrusion of a first cover into engagement with a corresponding recess of a second cover to releasably join the covers 14 to each other. The design of the covers may be such that a single feature of the covers shape forms both the protrusion and the recess. In other embodiments, the cover interlocking feature may comprises mated sets of threads, suitable quick release fasteners, corresponding hook and loop fastening pairs and other fastening systems as are known in the art.

In one embodiment the unitized cover configuration may be releasably attached to a single container body 12 or to a set of nested container bodies 12. In this embodiment, each cover 14 includes a container facing side and a second side. The unitized cover configuration comprises a first outermost cover having an exposed container facing side, and a second opposing outermost cover having an exposed second side. A set of nested container bodies 12 may comprise a plurality of container bodies 12 designed to form a nested stack. At least one container body of those in the nested stack is disposed such that the body element to which a cover 14 is intended to attach is sufficiently exposed to enable a cover 14 to be attached to the body 12. The single container body 12 or plurality of nested container bodies 12 are releasably attached to the first outermost cover 14 of the unitized cover configuration according to the design of the cover/body combination for releasably attaching the covers 14 to the bodies 12.

Attaching the unitized configuration of covers 14 to a set of nested container bodies 12 yields a unitized plurality of containers 10 that may efficiently separated into respective pairs of one container body 12 and a matching container cover 14 by the removal of the outermost single cover 14, and the outermost single container 12 from the unitized plurality of containers. This embodiment promotes efficient storage of the containers not in use by enabling all the components 12 and 14 of the containers 10 to be stored as a unitized plurality of containers 10.

The kit also comprises a package 20 partially enclosing the storage containers 10. The package may be formed from suitable packaging materials including polymeric films and wraps, paper and cardboard of a range of weights and grades, metal foils, and combinations of the above. The package 20 serves a multitude of purposes comprising maintaining the elements of the kit in a unitized from and resist forces acting to separate kit components. The package may also function to protect the elements of the kit from exposure to excessive moisture and temperatures, as well as preventing dirt, dust and debris from contacting the kit contents. The package may also provide at least one surface upon which to communicate information regarding the product of the kit including, without being limiting, brand name, price, size, quantity, material, intended uses, sales promotion and combinations thereof. The provided information may also include instructions regarding the intended use or uses for the products and warnings to communicate uses of the product that may be harmful in some manner. In one embodiment the package communicates at least one beneficial feature associated with an aspect of the product that is unrelated to the use of the product. In the example of the storage containers, the package may communicate that the plurality of containers promotes household efficiency by providing a plurality of containers that may be easily selected for use individually from a collection of container components that may be stored in a unitized configuration. In this embodiment the package 20 comprises indicia 30. Indicia 30 illustrate the storage of all or some of the kit components as a unitized configuration. This communication provides a shopper with an additional incentive to purchase the kit beyond any information related to the direct use of the kit components as storage containers. In the example, the information is related to an aspect of the kit contents related to the arrangement of the contents in a configuration dissociated from the direct use of the contents. In a general sense, the indicia communicates a direct beneficial aspect of the product beyond any aspect associated with the use of the product.

Information may be provided upon the package 20 surfaces using text, images, or a combination of text and images. The information may be applied to the package using any suitable means including printing, embossing, laminating and other means for fixing text and graphical images to package surfaces.

The feature relates to an aspect of the plurality of containers 10 unrelated to the direct use of the containers 10 as storage containers. In one embodiment, the feature relates to a consumer benefit associated with increased household organization derived from a manner of storing the components 12, 14, of the containers 10 prior to and between the uses of the containers 10. In this embodiment, the benefit may be related to the capacity of the kit components to be stored as a unitized group where all the covers 14 and bodies 12 are consolidated into a single unitized structure for storage purposes.

The feature may be communicated by means other than indicia upon the package 20. In one embodiment point of sale advertising and display materials may be used to communicate the feature in conjunction with the package indicia. In another embodiment print and other media advertising may be used to communicate the feature. In any embodiment, the additional communication may repeat the communication of the package indicia, or the additional communication may augment the package indicia communication taking advantage of opportunities provided by additional space and media types.

All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this written document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to the term in this written 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 kit comprising:

a) a plurality of consumer products adapted for use as storage containers,

b) a package adapted to at least partially enclose the plurality of containers,

wherein the package comprises indicia adapted to illustrate a feature of the consumer products, the feature being related to an aspect of the products other than the use of the products.

2. The kit according to claim 1 wherein the beneficial feature relates to the storage of the products prior to and between uses of the products.

3. The kit of claim 2 wherein the beneficial feature relates to releasably joining distinct portions of respective products together.

4. The kit according to claim 2 wherein the consumer products comprise container bodies and associated container covers and wherein the container bodies are adapted to releasably nest together and the associated container covers are adapted to releasably join together.

5. A method of marketing a consumer product adapted for use as a storage container, the method comprising steps of:

a) providing a kit comprising a plurality of the consumer products and a package wherein the package at least partially encloses the plurality of containers,

b) disposing indicia upon the package wherein the indicia illustrate a feature of the products that is related to an aspect of the products other than the use of the products as storage containers.

6. The method according to claim 5 further comprising the step of associating the consumer product with the beneficial feature by a communication other than the indicia.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the communication is a point of sale advertisement.

8. The method according to claim 6 wherein the communication is an advertisement.

9. The method according to claim 6 wherein the communication is a printed advertisement.