GB2141102A - Packaging system - Google Patents

Abstract

A packet made of at least semi-rigid plastics material has two parts which form respectively a container 11 and a closure 12, the closure part 12 having a shoulder 20 shaped to match the outline of at least a part of the opening of the container part and both the shoulder 20 and said part of the opening being undercut or keyed so that they interengage to retain the closure over the opening. The two parts 11, 12 are preferably formed integrally with a hinge line 17 between them, and the dimensions are such relative to the hinge line that in the closed position the two parts 11, 12 are biassed to retain the interengagement. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Packaging system This invention relates to a packaging system, in particular for small articles, and to storage and display means associated therewith.

In many spheres of commerce, particularly the do-it-yourself and hardware trades, products such as nuts and bolts are sold prepackaged in suitable numbers. Each package is labelled and priced, and then displayed on a rack so that shoppers can select what they need. A common system of packaging is to put the articles for sale in a small plastic bag, and to staple a cardboard label at the open end of the bag. The label is pierced so that it can be hung on a rack with many others for selection by the shopper. This system, and variants of it, is used very widely, and also in other trades such as haberdashers and supermarkets.

The packaging systems so far devised have not been very satisfactory for a number of reasons. One is that hanging plastic bags do not appear attractive. Another is that once purchased and some of the contents used, it is difficult to store the remainder other than by putting them into another receptacle.

The invention aims to provide more attractive packets which are easy to display in a shop and which can be retained for use by the purchaser after some of the contents have been used.

Accordingly, the invention provides a packet made of at least semi-rigid plastics material and having two parts which form respectively a container and a closure, the closure part having a shoulder shaped to match the outline of at least a part of the opening of the container part, both the shoulder and said part of the opening being undercut or keyed so that they interengage to retain the closure over the opening.

Preferably, the two parts are formed integrally with a hinge line between them which allows the closure part to be swung over to cover or uncover the opening. The plastics material may be transparent, and preferably the shoulder is continuous and matches the whole shape of the opening. According to a further preferred feature, when the two parts are formed integrally it is arranged that in the closed position the two parts are biassed in a sense to retain the interengagement.

In order that the invention shall be closely understood, various exemplary embodiments thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a plan view of a packet according to the invention in the open condition; Figure 2 shows a section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1; Figure 3 shows a section through the packet in the closed condition; Figure 4 shows diagrammatically the method of displaying packets in a shop; Figure 5 shows a number of packets contained in a cartridge; and Figure 6 shows an exploded view of a storage rack for packets.

A packet according to the invention is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. As best seen in Fig. 1, the packet is formed from a single piece of semi-rigid transparent plastics material, preferably by vacuum forming. It has a container part 11, a closure part 12, and optionally a label part 1 3. The container part 11 has a bowl 14 suitable to contain a number of nuts, bolts, buttons, cake decorations, or like small articles. The bowl is surrounded by a flange 15, and just within and along one edge is formed with a latching rib 16.

Part 11 is connected by a shaped hinge 1 7 to the closure part 1 2. The latter has a peripheral flange 1 8 which surrounds a continuous shoulder 20 which has an outline which corresponds with the top inner edge 21 of the bowl 14. The central area of the portion of the closure part which is raised to form the shoulder 20 is recessed at 22 purely for reasons of strength.

One side 23 of the shoulder 20 is undercut as can be clearly seen in Fig. 2. This undercut shoulder is arranged to key with the rib 1 6 on the container part when the packet is closed.

The flange 1 8 is extended on one of its three sides to allow the provision of a suspension opening 24. The label part 13, if provided, is connected by a further hinge or line of weakness 25.

Fig. 3 shows how the closure part and the container part close together. When folded over, the shoulder 20 enters the opening of the bowl 14 so that the latter is closed. In addition, the undercut shoulder 23 can be pushed past the rib 1 6 so that the two are keyed together and the packet is retained shut. This effect is greatly improved if the constuction is made such that a force F as indicated in Fig. 3 is operating on the container part. In particular, this can be achieved by making the distance of the rib 1 6 from the line of the hinge 1 7 (distance Li) very slightly less than the distance between the shoulder 23 and the hinge 1 7 (distance L2).

In principle, various modifications to this construction can be adapted. The shoulder 20 does not need to be continuous and thus match the opening of the bowl 14. In fact, the shoulder 23, designed to key with shoulder 16, need be the only one provided, when the closure part and the container part are integral. However, these parts need not be integral, in which case it may be advantageous to provide a key interengagement around the whole circumference of a shoulder which does match the whole contour of the bowl 14. When not integral, the two parts do not both require to be transparent. In either case, the extension carrying the aperture 24 does not have to be on the closure member; it could equally be provided on the container part.

Fig. 4 shows one support rod of a display rack intended to hold supplies of the packets described above. A set of rods 30 are mounted on a framework (not shown) to project forwards (i.e. towards potential customers). Each rod has a length sufficient to allow twelve such packets to be suspended thereon.

It is inclined at an angle of approximately 1 0' to the horizontal, so that the packets hanging on it tend to slide towards the forward end, i.e. towards the customer. At its end, the rod is bent back to form a stop 31 which is sufficiently large to prevent packets becoming easily detached, but is small enough to allow packets to be removed, preferably by tilting forwards and upwards.

In order to make it easy to re-stock a display stand having support rods as in Fig.

4, a number, for example ten, packets are supplied to retailers within a cardboard cartridge 33.

Fig. 5 shows the packets 10 arranged in the cartridge 33 with the apertures 24 aligned so that a rod 30 can be passed through them or in one continuous movement. For this purpose, it is necessary that the right hand end (in Fig. 5) of the cartridge also includes an aperture at the appropriate position. Suitable detachable strips and/or tear lines are provided in the cartridge to enable it to be stripped away from the packets once they are securely held on the rod. It is additionally an advantage if the same right hand end of the cartridge also carries on its inner surface a printed message indicating the contents of the packets contained within it and a reminder of the need to reorder that product.It will be seen that if this end of the cartridge is then left in position, hanging on the wire of the rod, after the remainder of the cartridge has been removed, it will serve as a reminder to the retailer when the rod has to be re-stocked.

Preferably, the first time the rod is stocked the re-order card should be put between the eighth and ninth packets, so that the first restocking occurs with two packets still to sell.

If then a cartridge of ten is put onto the rod, with the end card of the cartridge still in position, the re-order reminder will again appear with two packets still to sell.

Fig. 5 illustrates a further advantageous arrangement. It will be seen that the label part 1 3 of each packet has been bent over so that it rests upon the packet behind. For this purpose, the part 1 3 must be physically longer than the depth of the bowl 14 of the packet. If now a tear-out strip is provided in the top surface of the cartridge, the row of folded-over parts 1 3 can be exposed, and it becomes an easy matter for a retailer to appiy a price ticket to each one before the packets are loaded onto a display stand.

Fig. 6 illustrates an exploded view of a storage rack which can be provided for customers to store packets of goods after purchase. The rack is formed of a number of planar elements which can be assembled by push-fit of appropriate connecting means.

When assembled, the vertical compartments so formed each have pairs of horizontal ribs 35 at intervals, including at the very top of each such compartment. The ribs are spaced by a little more than the depth of the bowl 14 of each packet. The horizontal spacing of the partition walls matches the overall width of the packets. Thus, an individual packet can be slid into the rack like a drawer, supported by the flanges 15, 1 8 and with the bowl 1 4 hanging downwards. In order to be able to identify the contents, it is advantageous if the label on the packet extends over the front wall 36 of the bowl 14, which wall can then carry printed details of the contents of the packet.

This will also show clearly when the packet is hung on a display rack in a shop.

Claims (14)

1. A packet made of at least semi-rigid plastics material and having two parts which form respectively a container and a closure, the closure part having a shoulder shaped to match the outline of at least a part of the opening of the container part, both the shoulder and said part of the opening being undercut or keyed so that they interengage to retain the closure over the opening.

2. A packet as claimed in claim 1 wherein the shoulder is continuous around the closure part, all or part of which shoulder is undercut.

3. A packet as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the container part and the closure part are formed integrally, with a hinge line between them which allows the closure part to be swung over to cover or uncover the opening.

4. A packet as claimed in claim 3 wherein in the closed position the two parts are mutually biassed in a sense to retain their interengagement.

5. A packet as claimed in claim 4 wherein said biassing is achieved because the respective distances of the undercut parts from the hinge line differ.

6. A packet as claimed in any preceding claim wherein an apertured extension is formed on one or other part, by means of which the packet can be hung.

7. A packet as claimed in any preceding claim wherein an extension is formed on one or other part for receiving a price label.

8. A packet as claimed in an preceding claim wherein the container part and/or the closure part are transparent.

9. A cartridge containing a plurality of packets as claimed in claim 6, wherein, the apertured extension of each packet is aligned and the cartridge is itself apertured to allow a rod to be inserted from one end through all the apertured extensions

10. A cartridge as claimed in claim 9 wherein tear lines are provided which enbable the cartridge to be removed from around the packets once they are held on the rod.

11. A cartridge containing a plurality of packets as claimed in claim 7, wherein the extensions are folded so as to lie in succession in a single plane, the cartridge allowing access to the extensions so that a label can be applied to each.

1 2. A cartridge as claimed in claim 11 wherein tear lines are provided to enable said access by removing part of the cartridge.

1 3. A storage rack for packets as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8 and having a prejecting flange on two opposite sides, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

14. As an independent invention, the additional feature of any of claims 2 to 1 2.

1 5. A packet substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 6. A cartridge containing packets substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.