Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D5/00—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper
  • B65D5/42—Details of containers or of foldable or erectable container blanks
  • B65D5/44—Integral, inserted or attached portions forming internal or external fittings
  • B65D5/52—External stands or display elements for contents
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D5/00—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper
  • B65D5/42—Details of containers or of foldable or erectable container blanks
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D5/00—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper
  • B65D5/42—Details of containers or of foldable or erectable container blanks
  • B65D5/4212—Information or decoration elements, e.g. content indicators, or for mailing
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D5/00—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper
  • B65D5/42—Details of containers or of foldable or erectable container blanks
  • B65D5/44—Integral, inserted or attached portions forming internal or external fittings
  • B65D5/50—Internal supporting or protecting elements for contents
  • B65D5/5028—Elements formed separately from the container body
  • B65D5/5035—Paper elements
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D5/00—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper
  • B65D5/42—Details of containers or of foldable or erectable container blanks
  • B65D5/44—Integral, inserted or attached portions forming internal or external fittings
  • B65D5/50—Internal supporting or protecting elements for contents
  • B65D5/5028—Elements formed separately from the container body
  • B65D5/5088—Plastic elements
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D5/00—Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper
  • B65D5/42—Details of containers or of foldable or erectable container blanks
  • B65D5/54—Lines of weakness to facilitate opening of container or dividing it into separate parts by cutting or tearing
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D77/00—Packages formed by enclosing articles or materials in preformed containers, e.g. boxes, cartons, sacks or bags
  • B65D77/04—Articles or materials enclosed in two or more containers disposed one within another

Definitions

• the present invention relates to secondary packaging. More particularly, the present invention relates to secondary packaging for an article, preferably a consumer product, which permits ready visual display of the article contained therein, while preventing direct access to such product, and preferably also while reducing materials required to form such secondary packaging.
• a variety of secondary packagings are known in the art for enclosing consumer products (to prevent access thereto prior to purchase) while also displaying the article so that the consumer may visually inspect or examine (hereinafter, for the sake of convenience, reference will be made to only “inspect,” it being understood that terms such as “inspect,” and “examine,” and “view” and other similar terms are substantially interchangeable) the product contained therein.
• One common such secondary packaging is a half-clamshell or clamshell package formed from at least one substantially clear plastic element enclosing the product so that the product may be visually inspected by the consumer prior to purchase.
• the plastic element typically is formed in a desired shape, such as by thermoforming or cold forming or vacuum- forming or otherwise, to hold the product in place within the secondary packaging.
• the formed plastic element is either coupled to a back card (e.g., a paperboard card on which product information is provided), or sealed to another plastic sheet, or enclosed in a box (e.g., paperboard or plastic), to inhibit unwanted or unauthorized access to the product therein.
• secondary packaging having transparent elements also generally includes a substantially opaque packaging element on which such information may be displayed.
• a half-clamshell secondary packaging typically includes a backing card (typically formed of paperboard) to which the formed clear plastic packaging element (generally known as a "blister" portion or element) is affixed to close the open end of the blister and thereby to enclose the consumer product between the blister and backing card.
• a half-clamshell secondary packaging is formed from two plastic elements (a formed blister portion and a flat back portion), a paper or paperboard element typically is enclosed between the two plastic portions to provide product information to the consumer.
• Such secondary packaging often includes a hang hole through which a peg may be inserted to hang the packaging from a peg board for consumer display.
• a clamshell type secondary packaging provides added visibility of the consumer product contained therein by mostly or completely enclosing the consumer product with substantially transparent packaging material (most commonly plastic).
• substantially transparent packaging material most commonly plastic
• a clamshell type secondary package typically encloses the product in two preformed transparent sheets (or a single sheet folded over to enclose the product).
• such packaging may be sealed to be resistant to accidental opening or opening without substantially destroying the packaging (such as resulting from opening by cutting along a line of weakening, via a tear strip, with the use of scissors, etc.).
• clamshell type secondary packaging typically also encloses a substrate bearing such information, such as a product information card or a printed sheet of paper. Enclosure of items other than the consumer product itself results in increased size of the secondary packaging to enclose such items, and thus results in increased material requirements.
• An alternative to enclosing such information-bearing substrate within the transparent clamshell material is to enclose the clamshell within such substrate, such as within a paperboard box bearing product information. Such alternative likewise results in increased material requirements.
• an exterior information-bearing substrate tends to impede or block visibility of the product contained within the packaging.
• secondary packaging is formed to permit ready viewing of the product contained therein.
• the secondary packaging is also formed to provide sufficient information about the product for perusal by a purchaser.
• secondary packaging preferably is formed in a manner that requires less material and less costly production steps than prior art secondary packaging.
• a secondary packaging is formed from an at least partially transparent article holding / displaying component for holding and displaying an article such as a consumer product (generally referenced herein as an "article” for the sake of convenience and simplicity without intent to limit) and a minimal amount of at least partially transparent material to enclose the article within the article holding / displaying component to inhibit removal therefrom.
• the transparent material preferably is a basic sheet of material that is not processed beyond the basic structure from which typical transparent packaging components are formed (e.g., is not molded or otherwise processed).
• the sheet of material is wrapped around the article holding / displaying component to follow the shape of the article holding / displaying component.
• the resulting secondary packaging thus may have a unique shape substantially dictated by the shape of the article holding / displaying component.
• a uniquely-shaped secondary packaging is provided to enhance inspection of the product contained therein while also complementing, enhancing, or highlighting the unique form of the article contained therein.
• the secondary packaging includes an article holding / displaying component in the form of an article tray with a non-rectangular cross-section (taken along a front-to-back axis) and a covering element enclosing an article in the article tray and also conforming to the shape of the article tray so that the secondary packaging, as a whole, has the unique shape of the article tray.
• a secondary packaging may be formed with an at least partially non-transparent element on which printed material (such as product information, logos, decorative elements, etc.) is provided.
• the non- transparent element preferably is formed to complement the transparent elements so as not to detract from display of the article within the secondary packaging.
• the non-transparent element is formed to complement, enhance, or highlight the article within the secondary packaging.
• a unique combination of product-displaying materials and product-information-bearing materials may be provided in accordance with principles of the present invention to permit formation of a uniquely-shaped secondary packaging as a result of the combination, rather than as a result of manufacturing processes performed on the materials (e.g., as a result of a mold shape used to form the transparent packaging material).
• the non-transparent element is in the form of a partial carton.
• Such configuration preferably optimizes visibility of the article displayed within the secondary packaging (a partial carton having fewer and / or shorter walls to obstruct the article within the secondary packaging), and may be formed to complement, enhance, or highlight the display of the article within the secondary packaging.
• a panel may be formed or configured as an element of the display of the article.
• secondary packaging formed in accordance with one or more principles of the present invention preferably requires fewer processing steps (such as achieved by using a sheet of material that has not been formed into another shape to enclose the article within the article holding / displaying component), less material (such as by not covering all sides of the article holding / displaying component with the sheet of material, and by forming a partial rather than full carton), and more environmentally- friendly materials (such as more-environmentally- friendly inks used to print on non- transparent materials than inks used to print on transparent materials; and use of non- transparent, typically paper-based, material to bear printed material is generally less costly and more environmentally friendly than the transparent, typically plastics, material) than required for state of the art secondary packagings.
• FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of secondary packaging formed in accordance with principles of the present invention
• FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of secondary packaging formed in accordance with principles of the present invention
• FIGURE 3 is a front partially exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of secondary packaging formed in accordance with principles of the present invention.
• FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of an exemplary embodiment of secondary packaging formed in accordance with principles of the present invention.
• Secondary packaging 100 is configured to contain, and preferably also to display, an article for consumer sale.
• secondary packaging 100 may be configured to be "shelf-ready" (configured for being supported by a support element, in contrast with being hung) and thus preferably has a bottom side configured to stably support second packaging 100 when laid on a support surface and need not have a back card or other extension or protrusion (such as for a hang hole).
• Article 110 to be contained within and preferably also displayed by secondary packaging 100 may be a primary package for another article (e.g., packaging, such as a bottle, jar, tube, etc., in which a consumer product, such as lotion, cream, gel, etc., is contained), or a device (e.g., a personal care device or a mechanical or electromechanical device that performs a particular function, such as a micro dermabrasion device, an electric toothbrush, an MP3 player, a hair styling device, etc.), or another type of consumer product (e.g., an article that is marketed for sale to a consumer in secondary packaging, such as a toothbrush, a hairbrush, scissors, shavers, a molded article such as a bar of soap, a toy, etc.), or any other type of article that may be packaged in a secondary packaging.
• packaging such as a bottle, jar, tube, etc., in which a consumer product, such as lotion, cream, gel, etc., is contained
• a device e.
• Articles for sale to consumers typically have a face or side or surface
• secondary packaging 100 preferably is formed to maximize visibility of article 1 10 contained therein, such as when on display for purchase at a retail location.
• secondary packaging 100 displays article 110 so that at least the display side of article 110 is unobstructed and viewable.
• article 110 is unobstructed within secondary packaging 100 so that article 100 is viewable from at least two different views.
• unobstructed and variants thereof, is understood to mean not blocked from view by another article, such as an opaque packaging element, and thus readily viewable without impediments.
• a "view,” and variants thereof, is understood as a view along / facing one or more of front side 101, back side 102, left side 103, right side 104, top side 105, or bottom side 106 of secondary packaging 100, and / or front side 111, back side 112, left side 113, right side 114, top side 115, or bottom side 116 of article 110.
• a three dimensional coordinate system as typically used in geometry defined by a vertical Y axis (extending in a top-bottom direction), a horizontal X axis perpendicular to the Y axis (and extending in a left-right direction), and a Z axis perpendicular to both the Y axis and the X axis (and extending in a front-back direction), may be defined with respect to secondary packaging 100 and / or article 110.
• the above- listed views thus may be defined along the X, Y, and Z axes, with left and right views being along the X axis, top and bottom views being along the Y axis, and front and back views being along the Z axis.
• At least one component of secondary packaging 100 preferably is formed from a material that is at least partially transparent at least in the vicinity of article 110, and most preferably, in the regions of secondary packaging 100 that are positioned closest to article 110 to display article 110 in a manner that a consumer may readily visually inspect article 110 without obstruction by non-transparent packaging components.
• the portions of secondary packaging 100 that are immediately adjacent (closest to) article 110 along at least one and preferably at least two of the front side 111, back side 112, left side 113, right side 114, top side 115, and bottom side 116 of article 110 are transparent, or at least semi- transparent, or at least mostly transparent (e.g., transparent over a majority of the area covering or immediately adjacent article 110 with only a minority of such area being opaque, such as as a result of printing) so that a consumer can inspect at least two views of article 110.
• at least one view of article 110, most preferably along the consumer- facing side is completely unobstructed.
• a view of the article may be considered unobstructed even if there is an obstruction along the viewing direction of such view. Even if an obstruction is present along a viewing direction, the corresponding view of the article may still be seen along a different viewing direction. For instance, if the front view of article 110 is partially obstructed along a front viewing direction, if the obstruction is spaced apart from article 110 along the front viewing direction, then the front view of article 110 may still be inspected from an angle with respect to the front viewing direction, such as along a side or top viewing direction, or an intermediate direction therebetween. For instance, even if an obstruction obstructs viewing along one viewing direction, the obstruction may be spaced apart from article 110 along that viewing direction so that article 110 is viewable along another viewing direction.
• secondary packaging 100 includes an article holding / displaying component for holding article 110 in place within secondary packaging 100 without obstructing inspection of article 110 by a consumer.
• FIGURES 1-3 is in the form of an article tray 120 configured to display article 110 within secondary packaging 100 in a manner that maximizes visibility of article 110.
• article tray 120 is formed from an at least partially transparent material (either fully transparent in at least some areas, or at least semi-transparent in at least some areas) so that article 110 is unobstructed by the material of article tray 120 along at least one and preferably at least two of front side 121, back side 122, left side 123, right side 124, top side 125, and bottom side 126 of article tray 120.
• the materials used to form article tray 120 preferably not only are at least partially transparent, but also are thermoformable to permit molding of the material into the desired form, such as by injection or blow molding, or by vacuum forming, or by another thermoforming or cold forming process.
• Exemplary suitable materials for forming article tray 120 include RPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate), APET (amorphic polyethylene terephthalate), PVC
• the preferable thickness of the material used to form article tray 120 is in the range of 0.010 - 0.040 gauge, the specific gauge preferably being selected, in accordance with techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art, to support article 110 in a stable manner.
• article tray 120 is formed to have an article holding compartment, such as an article well 130 for holding article 110 therein.
• Article tray 120 may be specifically configured to display article 110 on a shelf and thus may include a base (for example, along bottom side 126) configured to support secondary packaging 100 stably when secondary packaging 100 is laid on the base.
• the sides of article tray 120 are slightly tapered (i.e., at an obtuse angle with respect to front side 121 of article tray 120) to facilitate removal of article tray 110 from a tool / mold (as may be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art).
• feet e.g., a projection with a bottom surface substantially at right angles with respect to front side 121 of article tray 120
• feet may be formed along bottom side 126 to impart article tray 120 with shelf stability. It will be appreciated that formation of article tray 120 from a transparent or at least substantially or partially transparent material and in a self-standing configuration, and positioning of article well 130 spaced above bottom side 126 of article tray 120 permits article 110 to be held in article well 130 to appear as if article 110 is floating.
• Article tray 120 preferably is formed to hold article 110 in place within secondary packaging 100 in a stable manner so that article 110 shifts minimally, and, most preferably, does not shift at all, so that article 110 is maintained in the position selected for optimal viewing by a consumer when secondary packaging 100 is on display for purchase by a consumer.
• engagement points are formed (such as by the formation of an undercut, flange, notch, etc., along the peripheral edge of the well) in article well 130 and / or along front edge 131 of article well 130, depending on the nature of article 110.
• material may be left to extend inwardly from article well edge 131 at a minimum of two points along article well edge 131, extending peripherally along article well edge 131 at least about 0.25 inches (0.635 cm) and extending at a width or height (in a direction toward article 110, perpendicular to the periphery of article well edge 131) of no less than about 0.015 inches (0.0381 cm) to hold article 110 within article well 130 during handling and distribution.
• well walls 132 may be shaped and configured to conform to the size and shape of article 110 so that article 110 is held in place, preferably in a specific orientation, within article well 130 and thus also within article tray 120.
• an article well 130 matching the shape of article 110 may be considered more aesthetically pleasing than an article well that does not match the shape of article 110 for various reasons. For instance, an article well 130 is not as noticeable if it matches the shape of article 110, thus possibly also permitting article tray 120 to be not as noticeable. Also, an article well 130 substantially matching the shape of article 110 would present substantially the same surface curvatures and therefore have substantially the same or at least substantially complementary light reflectivity (rather than potentially conflicting reflectivity which may result from an article well 130 having planar surfaces and an article having curved surfaces).
• article tray 120 may formed in a different manner.
• Article well 130 has an open end along front edge 131 through which article 110 is inserted, and a base 133 (the bottom surface of article well 130, furthest from open end 131). Article 110 need not reach and engage base 133.
• the open end of article well 130 preferably is oriented along the display face of secondary packaging 100 to face the consumer- facing side (in the exemplary embodiment of FIGURES 1-3, front side 101) of secondary packaging 100 (i.e., the side of secondary packaging 100 positioned to be inspected by a consumer when secondary packaging 100 is on display for inspection and purchase by a consumer).
• Such orientation is preferable particularly for high-end (generally more costly) articles intended to be readily viewed with minimal interference by materials enclosing the article (materials provided such as to maintain the article within the package and to prevent accidental or intentional removal of the article), which materials may detract from the appearance of article 110.
• article 110 projects beyond front edge 131 of article well 130, further enhancing viewing of portions of article 110 unobstructed by article tray 120. It will be appreciated such configuration causes article tray to be front heavy (distributed closer to front side 121 than back side 122), thus benefiting from provision of the above-described feet on bottom side 126 to keep article tray 120 from falling forward.
• secondary packaging 100 may also contain additional elements or articles such as parts (e.g., replacement elements), or accessories (e.g., attachments, replaceable or consumable components, decorative elements, etc., to accompany or to be used in conjunction with article 110), or power elements (e.g., power cords, charger units, batteries, etc.), or written materials (e.g., product information, documentation such as manuals, instructions, warranty information, or promotional materials).
• article tray 120 may have one or more additional wells 140 formed to hold additional elements or articles in place within secondary packaging 100.
• One or more of additional wells 140 may be formed to hold an article in place so that such article does not move around as secondary packaging 100 is moved (such as during transport or while being handled by a consumer).
• an article such as a power element (e.g., battery, power cord, charger) may create rattling noises, and may be heavy enough to cause damage to secondary packaging 100 and even to article 110 if not restrained, such as by placement within an additional well 140.
• a power element e.g., battery, power cord, charger
• Additional wells 140 may be formed in the same or similar manner as article well 120 is formed to retain an article therein.
• article tray 120 may be formed to have a holding space 142 along back side 122 with sufficient volume for holding additional elements to be sold with article 110 (preferably such additional elements are lightweight or soft and need not be restrained within secondary
• packaging 100 For instance, if article 110 is a battery-powered device, such as a skin cleanser or a microdermabrasion device, then a battery 141 may be stored in additional well 140, and a package of replacement cleaning pads 143 may be stored in holding space 142.
• a battery-powered device such as a skin cleanser or a microdermabrasion device
• article well 130 preferably faces consumers so that article tray 120 does not cover article 110. However, so that article 110 is not handled by consumers or, worse, tampered with or even stolen, article 110 must still be enclosed and secured within article tray 120.
• a sleeve 150 instead of an additional molded packaging element covering article 110 (as in typical secondary packagings with an article tray), preferably a sleeve 150, formed from a sheet of at least partially transparent material, encloses article 110 within article well 130 in article tray 120.
• a "sheet" of material is to be understood as the blank or initial form of a given material before the material is further processed, such as by molding, into another shape or form.
• a sheet of substantially transparent material is to be understood as a substantially flat, unformed web of substantially transparent material, such as plastic, formed by extrusion (e.g., of plastic in liquid or pellet form) or other processes well known to those of ordinary skill in the art and thus not detailed herein.
• the sheet is generally considered the basic form or starting point for other plastic packaging components (other than starting from pellets or liquid plastic material, such as with injection molded
• Such a sheet of material commonly may be further processed, formed, or shaped into something other than a sleeve.
• a molded element or vacform such as article tray 120, typically is formed by molding a sheet of material, whereas a tube may be formed by rolling a sheet to form a tube without otherwise further processing the material (such as by heat or pressing).
• sleeve 150 preferably is formed simply by die cutting a desired shape from a sheet or web of material and manipulating the die cut material around article tray 110 without further processing (such as heating or welding) the sheet of material.
• the present invention essentially permits usage of the basic element used to form secondary packaging components without processing such basic element further, such as to actually form a molded element, thereby providing a secondary packaging requiring less expensive and / or fewer manufacturing steps and / or fewer tools (e.g., molds) than required to manufacture prior secondary packagings such as clamshells or blisters.
• use of a sheet of material that is not processed further generally requires less material than packaging components formed by further processing.
• formed packaging components typically are formed from a sheet of material, as noted above. Once the sheet is formed into the desire shape, the material typically is trimmed - in contrast with sleeve 130 which is cut to the desired final configuration and therefore does not require trimming or other excess material to be discarded.
• sleeve 150 is formed from a single component - just the basic sheet material - and not coupled to additional elements as in the case of transparent sheets forming windows in paperboard packaging components (wherein the resulting packaging component is formed from a plastics component and a paperboard component, each formed separately and then coupled together in a separate manufacturing step).
• printed information 152 may readily be provided on such curved surface because of the initial flat configuration of the material from which sleeve 150 is formed.
• Additional printed information 154 may be provided in other regions as well. It will be appreciated that the content of printed information 152 and 154 may be of any desired nature, and is not limited to the type of information illustrated in the figures. In addition, it will be appreciated that, for the sake of simplicity, printed information 152 and 154 is not illustrated in all of the figures.
• the sheet of material from which sleeve 150 is formed preferably is sufficiently flexible to permit bending or flexing of the material to wrap around and to envelop article tray 120 flexibly without causing cracking or breaking of sleeve 150.
• Sleeve 150 may be formed from the same materials that may be used to form article tray 120 (described above), preferably excluding HIPS. Paper stock may also be used, except, of course, that the aspect of the present invention of enhancing visibility of article 110 would not be met.
• the thickness of the material from which sleeve 150 is formed preferably is selected so that sleeve 150 can conform to the shape required to enclose article 110 within article tray 120.
• a suitable manufacturable range of thicknesses for the material of sleeve 130 is 0.008 - 0.030 gauge. It will be appreciated that a much thinner material may be used while still achieving the desired enhanced visibility of article 1 10, reduction in material usage and processing, and additional benefits (described below) which may result from the use of sleeve 150. For instance, a shrink film thick enough to maintain its shape (e.g., does not recede or collapse or pucker or wrinkle) may be used, the thickness depending on the material selected.
• a sheet of at least partially transparent material generally is not as highly curved as article 110 or article tray 120
• light reflectivity off sleeve 150 generally is substantially lower than light reflectivity off an at least partially transparent cover or closure element molded to conform more closely to the shape of article 110, such as a second molded plastic element as typically used to enclose an article in a clamshell-type secondary packaging. Accordingly, visibility of article 110 is less impeded by being enclosed or covered by sleeve 150 than by a molded element.
• sleeve 150 is spaced apart from article 110 to reduce any affect sleeve 150 may have on the appearance of article 110.
• sleeve 150 preferably is formed from a sheet of material that is formed into the final sleeve configuration by simple folding or bending without further processing, such as molding, and thus is more cost and energy efficient than other packaging components such as molded elements.
• sleeve 150 may be wrapped around article tray 120 about only a single axis (the X axis in the exemplary embodiment of FIGURES 1-4), leaving open opposite ends (in the case of the exemplary embodiment of FIGURES 1-4, left side 103 and right side 104) of secondary packaging 100 along the axis about which sleeve 150 is wrapped, and thereby also utilizing less material than would be required to cover all sides of article tray 120.
• Sleeve 150 preferably at least encloses article 110 within article tray 120 to prevent inadvertent or unauthorized access to article 110 or exposure of article 110 to undesired elements (e.g., moisture, dirt, or dust).
• article tray 120 may be configured to enclose article 110 in conjunction with sleeve 150.
• article tray 120 may be formed with side walls 160, 162 projecting beyond front edge 131 of article well 130 and also beyond the forward-most surface of article 110, to enclose article 110 along the sides not covered by sleeve 150.
• article tray 120 typically is formed with a particular article 110 of a predetermined size and shape in mind, the height of side walls 160, 162 necessary to extend beyond an article to be held within article well 130 of article tray 120 is readily determinable.
• Sleeve 150 may be laid over the respective front-facing surfaces 161, 163 of side walls 160, 162 (effectively, portions of front side 121 of article tray 120), as well as over top side 125, back side 122, and bottom side 126 of article tray 120 to enclose article 110 within article well 130.
• Article 110 is thereby enclosed in secondary packaging 100 by sleeve 150 and side walls 160, 162 despite the projection of article 110 beyond front edge 131 of article well 130.
• projection of side walls 160, 162 forwardly beyond article 110 permits sleeve 150 to be spaced apart from article 110 so as to reduce any affect the presence of sleeve 150 may have on the visual impression of article 110. It will further be appreciated that projection of only side walls 160, 162 beyond front edge 131 of the opening of article well 130 may be sufficient (without also requiring top side 125 and / or bottom side 126 of article tray to have side walls extending beyond front edge 131).
• side walls 160, 162 on article tray 120 to function in conjunction with sleeve 150 to enclose article 110 within article tray 120 permits formation of a secondary packaging with a unique form or shape in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention.
• side walls 160, 162 may be formed in any desired shape, defining a unique cross-sectional shape (in the Y-Z plane, or as cut in a front to back direction and viewed from the side) of secondary packaging 100, and thus a uniquely-shaped secondary packaging.
• typical secondary packages are substantially rectilinear solid shapes (having quadrilateral, rectilinear, or angular shapes, such as cuboid or prisms, with all side walls being square or rectangular) or curvilinear shapes generated from basic curvilinear shapes (such as tubes with circular end walls), and / or have side walls generally meeting at approximately right angles.
• side walls 160, 162 may have a curved, non-rectangular, or otherwise non-standard (for secondary packaging) or irregular shape, such as a combination of curved and rectilinear segments.
• the shape of side walls 160, 162 may be based on the shape of article 110 or the shape of a logo associated with article 110.
• the perimeter of side walls 160, 162 on which sleeve 150 is laid dictates, at least in part, the resultant shape (or at least cross-sectional shape) of secondary packaging 100. More particularly, when sleeve 150 is laid on the peripheral surfaces of side walls 160, 162, the substantially planar surface of sleeve 150 follows the shape of the periphery of side walls 160, 162, resulting in a contoured surface corresponding to the contours of the periphery of side walls 160, 162. As such, article tray 120, and more particularly side walls 160, 162, not only contribute to enclosing article 110 within secondary packaging 100, but also affect the overall dimension and configuration and shape of secondary packaging 100.
• exemplary secondary packaging 100 may be seen to have a curvilinear cross-sectional shape with a curved front-top face and substantially flat left, right, back, and bottom side faces, such shape being driven by the shape of side walls 160, 162, which have a front edge and top edge formed as a substantially continuous curve.
• Such shape may be said to be based on (specifically, a quarter of the shape of) a logo shape of a rectangle with rounded corners, such as illustrated in exemplary printed information 152.
• printed information 152 may be provided along the curved front-top wall of secondary packaging 100 (preferably on the forwardly and upwardly facing surface of sleeve 150), such positioning generally having higher visibility by consumers than if on a vertical, forward-facing front wall or horizontal, upward-facing top wall of a typical box-type secondary packaging.
• side walls 160, 162 may be formed in other shapes, within the scope of the present invention, to result in a secondary packaging that preferably is not in a standard form.
• sleeve 150 may be provided at appropriate locations with crease fold lines.
• crease fold line means an area of a structure that promotes or enhances bending, folding, or creasing, without necessarily promoting separation, about the area, such as achieved by weakening such area of the structure (e.g., by lines of weakness, including, without limitation, score lines that weaken the material to permit creasing, half-cut lines that are cut partially through the thickness of the material, or perforation lines formed by alternating full cuts and lands to aid in bending or creasing).
• lines of weakness including, without limitation, score lines that weaken the material to permit creasing, half-cut lines that are cut partially through the thickness of the material, or perforation lines formed by alternating full cuts and lands to aid in bending or creasing).
• Crease fold lines may be formed in any manner known to those of ordinary skill in the art, including, without limitation, mechanical means, such as cutting or die cutting, that may form bar scores, or microperforations (preferably 80-200 teeth/inch); or non-mechanical means, including, but not limited to, radio-frequency, chemical etching, lasers, heat, etc.; or combinations of mechanical and non-mechanical means.
• mechanical means such as cutting or die cutting, that may form bar scores, or microperforations (preferably 80-200 teeth/inch)
• non-mechanical means including, but not limited to, radio-frequency, chemical etching, lasers, heat, etc.
• crease fold lines are formed with the same die used to die cut sleeve 150 from the bulk material (sheet or web) from which sleeve 150 is formed.
• Sleeve 150 then may be positioned around article tray 120, and creased along its crease fold lines as appropriate, to conform substantially to the outer form of article tray 120 and secured, such as by glue or welding, in place. It will be appreciated that crease fold lines may also be used to permit flattening of sleeve 150 (in contrast with formed, three- dimensional packaging components like vacforms) to take up less space in storage and transit and to facilitate shipment thereof to an assembly location at which sleeve 150 is assembled with the other components of secondary packaging 100.
• the free ends of sleeve 150 Upon manipulating sleeve 150 about article tray 120 to enclose and preferably also to secure article 110 therein, the free ends of sleeve 150 preferably are secured in a closed configuration.
• the free ends of sleeve 150 may be secured (such as by sealing or by means of a separate affixing element such as a tie or snap) to each other or to article tray 120 or to another packaging element of secondary packaging 100 to maintain sleeve 150 in its wrapped configuration.
• hot melt such as HMA (hot melt adhesive), paraffin, hydrocarbon waxes (generally pre-heated to a liquid state and then applied and cooled), which may be used on plastic as well as paperboard materials
• PUR polyurethane reactive materials
• hot melt adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive that cross- binds to a variety of substrates completely after a 24-48 hour curing process, which may be used on plastics alone, in a liquid state
• cold or white adhesive such as polyvinyl acetate, which binds paperboard fibers and is typically used in joining seems in paperboard conversions.
• a tear feature may be formed in sleeve 150 to facilitate removal of sleeve 150.
• a tear feature is provided in bottom side 156 of sleeve 150 by providing a line of weakness, preferably in the form of a pair of lines of weakness 157a, 157b forming at least one tear strip 158 therebetween.
• lines of weakness 157a, 157b are microperforation lines (formed such as by a cutting instrument with 80-200 teeth/inch), or standard perforations (such as 1/16 inch cuts and 1/16 inch lands, or 1/8 inch cuts and 1/8 inch lands), depending on factors known to those of ordinary skill in the art, such as the material of sleeve 150 and the desired opening force required to tear the tear feature.
• cut 159 may be formed to separate tear strip 158 into two tear strips and to facilitate lifting an end of one of tear strips 158 to tear open sleeve 150. Cut 159 may be shaped to facilitate lifting of an end of tear strip 158, and preferably is shaped to result in angled or rounded corners along the ends of tear strips 158 to eliminate sharp edges.
• secondary packaging 100 may, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention, be formed from more than one at least partially transparent component.
• secondary packaging 100 typically also is designed to provide information about the product (e.g., branding, indicia, UPC or bar codes, a description of product use and / or benefits, ingredients or components lists, specifications, product information, information required by various government agencies, etc.) or at least to enhance the appearance of secondary packaging 100 with graphic elements.
• secondary packaging 100 preferably includes indicia-bearing surfaces on which written material, graphics, etc., may be provided such as by printing.
• provision of printed material on an at least partially transparent secondary packaging may be at odds with various above-described benefits of the present invention such as reducing materials used, simplifying manufacturing processes, and facilitating viewing of the article within secondary packaging.
• printing on transparent material often requires more expensive inks and / or more expensive printing processes and / or more printing steps (e.g., multiple printing steps to apply several layers of ink so that the ink is readily legible).
• a non-transparent packaging element is provided in addition to article tray 120 and sleeve 150 to form secondary packaging 100.
• Suitable materials for a non-transparent packaging element include paper-based materials, such as paperboard, or other materials that readily accept and display printed material. The material may or may not be coated or otherwise treated for printing purposes, depending on the desired printing effect.
• the non-transparent packaging element preferably is a structural element that not only provides billboard space for printed material, but also may serve additional packaging purposes or functions.
• secondary packaging 100 is provided in accordance with at least the third aspect of the present invention with a structural non-transparent packaging element in the form of a partial carton 170.
• Partial carton 170 preferably has fewer and / or shorter walls than typical carton elements of secondary packagings, leaving at least one side of article tray 120 unobstructed for viewing of article 110 therein.
• front wall 171, back wall 172, left wall 173, and right wall 174 of partial carton 170 do not even extend the full height of article tray 120, thereby leaving more than one side of article tray 120 unobstructed for viewing of article 110 therein. It will be appreciated that provision of a bottom wall 176 is optional.
• left wall 173 and right wall 174 are illustrated as having slanted top edges, other configurations are within the scope of the present invention. If partial carton 170 is formed by folding a blank of material (e.g., paperboard) into the desired configuration, then typically the free edges of the blank will be exposed at least in some areas. If desired, additional blank
• material 172', 173', 174' may be provided to permit additional blank material 172', 173', 174' to be folded over the wall from which it extends so that the cut or "raw" or exposed edges of the carton blank are not exposed, but, instead, a clean and neat edge is visible.
• Such technique is known in the art and thus further detail need not be provided.
• Such configuration of the side walls of partial carton 170 also permits printed matter to be provided within the interior of partial carton 170 in a cost effective manner. In particular, only one side of the material needs to be printed, and, if the material is primed, only one side would be primed, thereby reducing materials as well as processing steps.
• the printed exterior surface of partial carton 170 is positioned for viewing in the interior of partial carton 170 so that printing only need to be performed on the exterior surface of partial carton 170.
• Various printed material such as messaging, logos, graphic images, etc., may thus be readily and cost effectively provided along at least part of the interior of partial carton 170.
• partial carton 170 requires less material than required to form typical secondary packagings utilizing full (six-walled) or half (five-walled) cartons as non-transparent packaging elements.
• the size of partial carton 170 preferably is restricted to provide the desired billboard space for the printed material to be provided on the exterior of secondary packaging 100, without providing excess unnecessary space, thereby further reducing material usage.
• the size of partial carton 170 may also be dictated by various functions other than providing billboard space for printed material. For instance, it will be appreciated that at least in the exemplary embodiment of
• back wall 172 of partial carton 170 provides the most space for printed material (even if back wall 172 does not extend the full height of secondary
• Partial carton 170 preferably is configured so that it may be folded flat for shipping purposes (similar to sleeve 150) and preferably is further configured for popping open from the folded configuration (known in the art as a "pop- up" configuration or a Hymes auto-lock bottom configuration) into a final configuration for assembly with other components of secondary packaging 100.
• partial carton 170 satisfies several desirable characteristics of the present invention.
• partial carton 170 preferably covers one or more and preferably fewer than all sides of article tray 120, leaving at least one side of article tray 120 unimpeded by non-transparent material, thereby also meeting the above-described first aspect of the present invention of providing sufficient exposure of article 110 within article tray 120 and secondary packaging 100 for inspection by a consumer.
• exemplary partial carton 170 permits viewing of article 110 along at least front side 111, left side 113, right side 114, and top side 115 of article 110.
• partial carton 170 preferably has more than one side wall that may obstruct view of any additional well 140 and elements therein.
• one or more of side walls 171, 172, 173, 174 may cover elements within secondary packaging 100 that preferably should be hidden from consumer view when secondary packaging 100 is on display for sale.
• bottom wall 176 of partial carton 170 preferably is shaped and configured, such as in a substantially rectilinear flat shape, to support secondary packaging 100 when rested on bottom side 106 of secondary packaging 100 and bottom side 176 of partial carton 170.
• partial carton 170 is formed by folding a paperboard blank, partial carton 170 typically will provide a stiffer bottom side 176 than typically provided by a side wall of article tray 120 such as forming bottom side 126 of article tray 120 (i.e., a side wall extending from the wall in which the article-holding well is formed, in contrast with the wall in which the article-holding well is formed or the side of the tray opposite the wall in which the article-holding well is formed).
• a side wall of article tray 120 such as forming bottom side 126 of article tray 120 (i.e., a side wall extending from the wall in which the article-holding well is formed, in contrast with the wall in which the article-holding well is formed or the side of the tray opposite the wall in which the article-holding well is formed).
• a partial carton provides an environmentally sustainable solution to provision of printed material, in accordance with principles of the present invention discussed earlier.
• material cost- savings typically non-transparent materials such as paper-based materials are less costly than typical transparent materials such as plastics, and less material is used to form a partial rather than a full carton
• printing on non-transparent material is overall easier (e.g., fewer steps and less complicated processing) and less costly (both in processing and in ink materials) than printing on transparent material.
• the transparent tray element in which the consumer product is held may be inserted into a partial carton rather than being sized to enclose a non-transparent element.
• partial carton 170 may be formed to complement, enhance, or highlight article 110.
• at least a portion of partial carton 170 may be formed to complement or enhance or highlight display of article 110 within secondary packaging 100.
• front wall 171 of partial carton 170 is configured (such as by die cutting) to be curved and tucked under article 110 to complement the curved shape of article 110.
• front wall 171 not only covers additional well 140 formed in the front of article tray 120, but also enhances or complements or highlights the curvature of curved article 110.
• front wall 171 appears to support article 110 minimally such that article 110 still appears to float within secondary packaging 100 (a visual impression which preferably is achieved by a substantially transparent article tray 120 holding article 1 10 in an elevated position above a support surface).
• the stiffness of the material of partial carton 170 and the configuration of front wall 171 and relative positions of the curved portion of front wall 171 with respect to article 110 may be selected so that front wall 171 contributes to maintaining article 110 in position within article well 130. For instance, one or more of such factors may be adjusted so that front wall 171 provides sufficient pressure against bottom side 116 of article 110 to secure article 110 within article well 130.
• partial carton 170 adds another component to secondary
• partial carton 170 may facilitate closure of secondary packaging 100 by interlocking with sleeve 150.
• tabs 172a, 172b formed on partial carton 170 for interlocking with slots 174a, 174b in sleeve 150 to form a tamper resistant closure.
• Tabs 172a, 172b may be formed in any convenient manner, such as by die cutting the blank from which partial carton 170 is formed so that upon folding into partial carton 170, a portion of one of front wall 171 and bottom wall 176 and / or a portion of one of back wall 172 and bottom wall 176 extends beyond the remaining edges of such wall to form a protruding tab that may be inserted into slots 174a, 174b.
• Slots 174a, 174b may similarly be formed in any convenient manner, such as by die cutting at the time sleeve 150 is die cut from the sheet of material from which it is formed. It will be appreciated that such interlocking of packaging components may alternatively be achieved between sleeve 150 and article tray 120. Also tabs may be formed along different side walls of partial carton 170, depending on the relative position of sleeve 150 about partial carton 170.
• the various separate features of the present invention need not all be present in order to achieve at least some of the desired characteristics and / or benefits of the present invention.
• One or more separate features may be combined, or only one of the various features need be present.
• the present invention provides a secondary packaging with one or more beneficial features which may be present independently or in combination with one another. Secondary
• packaging 100 preferably is formed from a minimal number, and most preferably no more than three, packaging components: article tray 120, sleeve 150, and partial carton 170.
• the components of secondary packaging 100 preferably are formed in a cost effective manner with reduced material usage and simplified manufacturing processes.
• secondary packaging 100 may be formed to display the article contained therein in a visually appealing manner.
• secondary packaging may be formed to maximize visibility of the article, and / or may be formed with components that complement, enhance, or highlight the form of the article therein.
• a secondary packaging that is environmentally sustainable yet also elegant may be formed.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)
• Packging For Living Organisms, Food Or Medicinal Products That Are Sensitive To Environmental Conditiond (AREA)

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• 2011
  • 2011-02-01 AU AU2011357729A patent/AU2011357729A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2011-02-01 CN CN201180066666.1A patent/CN103702906A/zh active Pending
  • 2011-02-01 CA CA2825144A patent/CA2825144A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2011-02-01 RU RU2013140402/12A patent/RU2013140402A/ru not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2011-02-01 EP EP11857584.4A patent/EP2670676A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2011-02-01 BR BR112013019700A patent/BR112013019700A2/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2011-02-01 WO PCT/US2011/023344 patent/WO2012105960A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2011-02-01 KR KR1020137023130A patent/KR20140010062A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation

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