CORD WRAP HANG TAB
The present solution provides apparatuses, systems, and methods for storing an item including a cord.
The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/699,630, filed Sep. 11, 2012, entitled “CORD WRAP HANG TAB,” which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present application relates generally to the field of packaging. More specifically, the present application relates to the integration of packaging components and functional components.
BACKGROUNDConsumers generally discard the packaging components of retail products once the items contained in the packing components are retrieved. Accordingly, such packaging components typically represent waste when they have completed their function of maintaining a product through shipment, delivery, display, and purchase.
Certain aspects of the packaging are typically geared towards specific functions throughout the initial pre-purchase phases. A significant number of retail products include packaging components that provide a particular function during the display process. For example, because some retail products are designed to hang from a rail, bracket, or rod connected to a peg board, or other vertical rack, the packaging will include a structure that permits the item to hang from the rail, bracket or rod, while remaining in a particular display orientation. The portion of the packaging that facilitates this function is sometimes referred to as a hang tab. While some packaging components such as the box may find extended uses beyond the purchase phase, for example as a container, packaging components such as a hang tab represent components with particularly low utility and are generally representative of a waste component post purchase.
SUMMARYThe inventors have appreciated that designing and implementing a hang tab or tag in a particular fashion provides innovative utility and functionality and consequentially reduces waste and packaging costs. Additionally, the inventors have appreciated that such an item may also alert and emphasize to a purchaser of a product of an accessory component.
In view of the foregoing, the present disclosure is directed to apparatuses, systems and methods that provide a cord wrap hang tab. In exemplary inventive embodiment provides an apparatus for displaying and storing an item. The apparatus includes a container configured to retain an item. The apparatus further includes a hang tab coupled to the container. The hang tab has a body portion having an aperture disposed therein. The aperture in the body portion of the hang tab is configured to receive a cantilevered rail of a retail display board. The hang tab further includes first and second recessed regions disposed on opposing sides of the body portion of the hang tab. The hang tab also includes a support region configured for removably coupling the hang tab with the container.
The support region may include a flange extending from the recessed region. The flange may be wider than the hang tab body portion. The flange may be orthogonal to the hang tab body portion.
The hang tab body may be oval shaped. The flange may be oval shaped.
The support region may include an aperture.
The apparatus may include a rotatable coupling. The apparatus may include a bushing rotatably coupling the support region of the hang tab with the container, which bushing may be flanged.
In some embodiments, the apparatus may include configured to attach to the support region. The container may include a channel configured to attach to the support region.
The support region may include an aperture including an opening. The opening may be narrower than another region in the aperture.
In some embodiments, the recess in the body portion may include a pinch point.
In some embodiments a pinch point may be disposed in a body portion of the hang tab.
The support region may be integral with the aperture in some embodiments.
The aperture may include a central indentation shaped to receive a round rod.
In some embodiments, the hang tab body is double wishbone shaped.
In some embodiments, the hang tab body is X-shaped.
In some embodiments, the hang tab body is L-shaped.
The recessed region may be removably coupled to the hang tab body, in accordance with some embodiments.
In accordance with some embodiments, the aperture is triangular.
Another exemplary inventive embodiment provides apparatus for storing earphones. The apparatus includes a body portion having an aperture disposed therein. The aperture is configured to receive a bracket of a retail display board. The body portion includes first and second recessed regions disposed on opposing sides of the body portion. The apparatus may also include a flange extending from the body portion at the recessed region in accordance with some embodiments.
Another exemplary inventive embodiment provides a method of storing earphones. The method includes opening a container including the earphones stored therein, uncoupling a hang tab from the container, which hang tab includes a plurality of recessed regions, and wrapping a cord of the earphones in the recessed regions.
It should be appreciated that all combinations of the foregoing concepts and additional concepts discussed in greater detail below (provided such concepts are not mutually inconsistent) are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. In particular, all combinations of claimed subject matter appearing at the end of this disclosure are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. It should also be appreciated that terminology explicitly employed herein that also may appear in any disclosure incorporated by reference should be accorded a meaning most consistent with the particular concepts disclosed herein.
The skilled artisan will understand that the drawings primarily are for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventive subject matter described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale; in some instances, various aspects of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein may be shown exaggerated or enlarged in the drawings to facilitate an understanding of different features. In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to like features (e.g., functionally similar and/or structurally similar elements).
The features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONFollowing below are more detailed descriptions of various concepts related to, and embodiments of, inventive systems, methods and apparatus for protecting a source of visual information and particularly electronic sources of visual information. It should be appreciated that various concepts introduced above and discussed in greater detail below may be implemented in any of numerous ways, as the disclosed concepts are not limited to any particular manner of implementation. Examples of specific implementations and applications are provided primarily for illustrative purposes.
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As utilized herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially” and similar terms are intended to have a broad meaning in harmony with the common and accepted usage by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this disclosure pertains. It should be understood by those of skill in the art who review this disclosure that these terms are intended to allow a description of certain features described without restricting the scope of these features to the precise numerical ranges provided. Accordingly, these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or inconsequential modifications or alterations of the subject matter described and are considered to be within the scope of the disclosure.
It should be noted that the term “exemplary” as used herein to describe various embodiments is intended to indicate that such embodiments are possible examples, representations, and/or illustrations of possible embodiments (and such term is not intended to connote that such embodiments are necessarily extraordinary or superlative examples).
For the purpose of this disclosure, the term “coupled” means the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary or moveable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being attached to one another. Such joining may be permanent in nature or may be removable or releasable in nature.
It should be noted that the orientation of various elements may differ according to other exemplary embodiments, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure. It is recognized that features of the disclosed embodiments can be incorporated into other disclosed embodiments.
It is important to note that the constructions and arrangements of cord wrap hang tab apparatuses or the components thereof as shown in the various exemplary embodiments are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter disclosed. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may also be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the various exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
All literature and similar material cited in this application, including, but not limited to, patents, patent applications, articles, books, treatises, and web pages, regardless of the format of such literature and similar materials, are expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety. In the event that one or more of the incorporated literature and similar materials differs from or contradicts this application, including but not limited to defined terms, term usage, describes techniques, or the like, this application controls.
While various inventive embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing the function and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the inventive embodiments described herein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the inventive teachings is/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific inventive embodiments described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventive embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the inventive scope of the present disclosure.
Also, the technology described herein may be embodied as a method, of which at least one example has been provided. The acts performed as part of the method may be ordered in any suitable way. Accordingly, embodiments may be constructed in which acts are performed in an order different than illustrated, which may include performing some acts simultaneously, even though shown as sequential acts in illustrative embodiments.
All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.
The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”
The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.
In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedures, Section 2111.03.
The claims should not be read as limited to the described order or elements unless stated to that effect. It should be understood that various changes in form and detail may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. All embodiments that come within the spirit and scope of the following claims and equivalents thereto are claimed.
Claims
1. An apparatus for displaying and storing an item, the apparatus comprising:
- a container configured to retain an item; and
- a hang tab coupled to the container, the hang tab having a body portion having an aperture disposed therein, the aperture configured to receive a bracket of a retail display board, the hang tab further including first and second recessed regions disposed on opposing sides of the body portion, the hang tab including a support region configured for removably coupling the hang tab with the container.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support region includes a flange extending from the recessed region.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the flange is wider than the hang tab body.
4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the flange is orthogonal to the hang tab body.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hang tab body is oval shaped.
6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the flange is oval shaped.
7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support region includes an aperture.
8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a rotatable coupling.
9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a bushing rotatably coupling the support region of the hang tab with the container.
10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the container includes a loop configured to attach to the support region.
11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the container includes a channel configured to attach to the support region.
12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support region includes an aperture including an opening.
13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the opening is narrower than another region in the aperture.
14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recess includes a pinch point.
15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the body portion includes a pinch point.
16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support region is integral with the aperture.
17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the aperture includes a central indentation shaped to receive a round rod.
18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hang tab body is double wishbone shaped.
19. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hang tab body is X-shaped.
20. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hang tab body is L-shaped.
21. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein recessed region is removably coupled to the hang tab body.
22. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the aperture is triangular.
23. An apparatus for storing earphones, the apparatus comprising:
- a body portion having an aperture disposed therein, the aperture configured to receive a bracket of a retail display board, the body portion including first and second recessed regions disposed on opposing sides of the body portion,
- a flange extending from the body portion at the recessed region.
24. A method of storing earphones, the method comprising
- opening a container including the earphones stored therein;
- uncoupling a hang tab from the container, the hang tab included a plurality of recessed regions; and
- wrapping a cord of the earphones in the recessed regions.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 14, 2013
Publication Date: Mar 13, 2014
Inventors: Ezra S. Ashkenazi (Brooklyn, NY), Jennifer Elizabeth Garrett (Oaklyn, NJ), Daniel Lawrence Nepsha (Jackson, NJ)
Application Number: 13/830,999
International Classification: B65D 85/04 (20060101);