GB2222145A

GB2222145A - Packaging

Info

Publication number: GB2222145A
Application number: GB8819169A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gary H Weston
Original assignee: COLEMAN MOORE ASSOCIATES LIMIT
Current assignee: COLEMAN MOORE ASSOCIATES LIMIT
Priority date: 1988-08-12
Filing date: 1988-08-12
Publication date: 1990-02-28
Also published as: GB8918477D0; GB2226010A; GB8819169D0

Abstract

A package suitable for point of sale display comprises a strip (2), e.g. of cardboard or plastics sheet, which is scored or creased along lines whereby the strip may readily be formed into a package comprising a tubular holder (9) and opposed end regions (10, 11) which lie against each other. The opposing end regions are preferably secured together e.g. by adhesive, but may be peeled apart to release the product and then re-sealed to return the product to display. <IMAGE>

Description

PACKAGING This invention relates to packaging and in the preferred embodiment provides a package which can be made economically, which is highly versatile, and yet which has a number of advantages over conventional packaging designs.

In particular the preferred embodiment of the invention provides a high-quality low cost packaging system which may be used for point of sale display of goods in quality retail establishments where conventional low cost packaging systems are inappropriate Heretofore, items packaged for point of sale display have in general been vacuum wrapped on to a display card, blister packed, or packed in a plastic bag to which a display card is fixed. These existing packaging techniques suffer from a number of well recognized disadvantages. In particular, vacuum packing affords limited physical protection to the items in question, and cannot be open to permit inspection of the items and subsequently reclosed.

Blister packs afford reasonably good physical protection to the product, but require relatively expensive moulding to produce blisters of the desired shape and expensive machinery for mass production packaging. Further, the overall volume occupied by a blister pack when packed in bulk with identical blister packs is relatively large compared to the usable product storage volume of the blister pack. Plastic bag packaging affords minimal protection to the product and is aesthetically unpleasing.

All three types of packaging suffer from the further disadvantage that products must be hung from a suitable rack, and cannot stand upright on a flat surface.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a package comprising an elongate strip of stiff material, the strip being folded to define in the central region thereof a tubular holder, and the opposite ends of the strip being positioned to lie against each other.

In general, the ends of the strip will be secured to each other either over the whole opposing area thereof, or at suitable points to maintain the package in the desired configuration.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the strip is a unitary strip of cardboard, and is scored to provide pre-defined fold lines at each corner of the tubular holder. In the alternative the strip may be a unitary plastics strip, for example a clear plastics strip, or may be a composite strip comprising cardboard and plastics portions joined end-to-end.

The invention will be better understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a view on a reduced scale of the blank used for forming the package of Figure 1; Figure 3 illustrates a possible use for the package of Figure 1; and Figures 4 and 5 are views corresponding to Figures 1 and 2 of a modified embodiment of the invention.

Referring firstly to Figures 1-3, the package 1 is formed from a unitary strip 2 of suitable material, for example cardboard, the strip being scored or creased along lines 3-8 whereby the strip may readily be formed into the package as illustrated in Figure 1 by folding the strip along the score or crease lines 3-8. In the assembled condition of the package illustrated in Figure 1 the central region of the strip defines a tubular holder 9 and the opposed end regions 10,11 of the strip lie against each other.

The end regions may be secured together if desired by any suitable means, for example by glue lines 12-13, Low-tack adhesive, or crimping.

The particular formation of the package offers a number of advantages. In particular it will be noted that the entire outer surface of the package is formed by one surface of the blank, and accordingly point of sale information, instructions, Trade Marks, etc. may readily be printed on the blank to be displayed on the completed package. The reverse surface of the blank (which forms the interior of the completed package) may also be printed when the blank is in a flat configuration. Additionally information leaflets vouchers and similar items may be housed within the pack either between the product and an adjacent wall of the pack or between the confronting end regions 10,11 of the pack. The underside of the base 14 of the package is flat and the package is disposed symmetrically above the base 14. The package may accordingly be stood on the base without need for further support.However, the ends of the strip are pre-formed with holes 15,16 which are aligned in the completed package enabling the package to be hung on a suitable point of sale rack.

Depending on the nature of the product to be sold, the product will be firmly retained within the tubular holder, and will be afforded reasonable protection against mechanical damage. If it is desired to demonstrate the product in question to a customer, or otherwise examine the product, it can, however, be slid laterally from the tubular holder, and subsequently replaced.

Figure 3 illustrates a typical embodiment of the invention used for packing a conventional 13A electrical plug 17. The front surface 18 of the tubular holder is provided with cut outs to receive the pins 19-21 of the plug, and the tubular holder is sized and shaped snugly to receive the body of the plug. The plug is accordingly held secure within the package. If it is desired to gain access to the product the end portions 10,11 can be peeled apart to break the connection therebetween formed by the glue lines 12,13. If necessary, after the product has been removed and inspected it may be replaced within the package and the end portions 10,11 re-sealed either utilizing the original glue lines 12,13, or using fresh glue or double sided tape. In appropriate cases the package may be utilized by the purchaser of the product for home storage of the product.

If desired the front and rear surfaces of the tubular holder may be interconnected by security tabs to prevent undetected removal of the product laterally of the tubular holder.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5 a modified embodiment of the invention is illustrated. In this embodiment the main strip 2A is formed with a plurality of side-flaps which cooperate in the assembled package to form end closures for the tubular holder. In this way, small components, or components of difficult shape may safely be retained within the package.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention (not shown) the portion of the blank between crease lines 7 & 8, and the base 14 may be formed with apertures which are aligned in the completed pack to enable elongate objects, for example pens to be pushed through the aligned apertures for display.

It will be noted that in both embodiments of the invention described above the blank is a simple unitary cardboard member which may readily be formed by cutting from sheet card. Because of the initial flat configuration of the blank it may readily be printed with required information. Also, by varying the positions of the various score or crease lines the size and shape of the tubular holder portion of the package may readily be varied.

Accordingly, expensive tooling is not required in order to produce a range of packages, and indeed because of the low cost and ease of printing of the package the package is particularly susceptible to in-house production for relatively low volume products.

Claims

1. A package comprising an elongate strip of stiff material, the strip being folded to define in the central region thereof a tubular holder, and the opposite ends of the strip being positioned to lie against each other.

2. A package according to claim 1 wherein the ends of the strip are secured to each other.

3. A package according to claim 2 wherein the ends of the strip are secured to each other over the whole confronting surfaces thereof.

4. A package according to any preceding claim wherein the ends of the strip are releasable from each other to open the package and may subsequently be secured to each other to re-close the package.

5. A package according to any preceding claim wherein the strip is a unitary strip of cardboard and is scored to provide pre-defined fold lines at each corner of the tubular holder.

6. A package according to any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the strip is a unitary plastics strip.

7. A package according to any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the strip is a composite strip comprising cardboard and plastics portions joined end to end.

8. A package substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.