GB2350345A

GB2350345A - Packaging means for tools having head and handle portions

Info

Publication number: GB2350345A
Application number: GB0012723A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Barry Howard
Original assignee: CASTLE COLOUR PRESS Ltd
Current assignee: CASTLE COLOUR PRESS Ltd
Priority date: 1999-05-25
Filing date: 2000-05-25
Publication date: 2000-11-29
Anticipated expiration: 2020-05-25
Also published as: GB0012723D0; GB9911988D0; GB2350345B

Abstract

Packaging means 2 for a tool, such as a paint brush, has a front face 16 , a back face 18, and two side faces 20, 22 with means 32, displaced from one of said faces, for retaining a tool head 44 and allowing part of the tool, i.e the handle portion 48, to extend beyond said means. A blank for making such a package is also disclosed. Such a package may form a retail pack for display (figure 4) and furthermore make unauthoriesd attempts to remove the tool from the packaging means during display apparent. An aperture 60 (figure 4) may be provided within the packaging in order to hang the package for display purposes and the front face may include a window portion 38.

Description

2350345 Packaging Means The invention which is the subject of this

application relates to packaging means for any item with a first portion such as a head which is larger than a second portion such as but not exclusively a handle portion and particularly, but again not exclusively, for paint brushes and in particular packaging means for the display of paint brushes in shops.

Conventionally tools with head and handle portions such as paint brushes are packaged and displayed in shops in plastics material in a form known as blister packaging. With respect to paint brushes this type of packaging allows a purchaser to view the product before buying and also protects the hairs of the brush from getting damaged, for example during packing, transport and display. However, this type of packaging is expensive due to both the cost of the raw material and the manufacturing process of putting the packaging together. In addition, the process of putting the brush into the plastic blister packaging is often inefficient due to the packaging having to be adhered around the brush or the packaging having to be assembled by hand before the brush can be placed inside. Furthermore, there is pressure for environmentally friendly packaging to be used and so a further disadvantage of the plastic blister packs is that the plastic is not deemed to be environmentally friendly.

The aim of the present invention is to provide packaging for tools with head and handle portions which is inexpensive and efficient. It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a packaging means which is environmentally friendly.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a packaging means for a tool with a head portion connected to a 2 handle portion, said packaging having a front face, a back face, and two side faces for the containment of at least part of the head portion of the tool, and first and second ends with at least one of the ends being open and through which the handle portion of the tool passes and wherein at said end a retaining lug is formed positioned for location with the tool to retain the packaging in position on the tool.

Preferably the retaining lug is positioned in the opening substantially in parallel with and intermediate the two side faces for location with the tool to retain the packaging in position on the tool.

Typically the retaining lug passes between the front and rear faces and is positioned so as to engage with one side of the handle portion of the tool, typically adjacent the head portion. The retaining lug can be formed so as to depend from one of the front or rear faces towards the other of the front or rear faces and is provided to be attached to the inner side of the same and provides a means of contact with the tool to position and secure the same with the packaging when displayed.

1n one embodiment of the invention, when the package is on display and hung via an aperture in the handle of the tool, the tool cannot be removed from the packaging without either taking the tool down from display and then manipulating the packaging or breaking the packaging, both of which can be relatively obvious and detectable actions.

Preferably the packaging is made from board material and the tool which is packaged is a paint brush with the head portion, including bristles, located within the packaging.

3 In one embodiment the front face of the package has a window portion for a purchaser to view the bristles portion of the paint brush.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a blank for the formation therefrom of a package for a tool, said blank comprising a front face and rear face joined on one side by a first side face, and at the other side of one of the front or rear faces depends a second side face portion with a flap for attachment to the free edge of the other of the front or rear face, and wherein intermediate the ends of one of the side walls a cut depends from one of the rear or front faces into the side wall to allow the formation of a retaining lug when the package is formed.

Typically at the end of the blank with the cut there is formed a protruding portion which extends across part of the front face, side wall and part of the rear face and the cut is formed in this protruding portion. Preferably the retaining lug cut has a shaped edge which is similar in profile to an edge of the protruding portion of the front or rear face of the blank. In one embodiment it is arcuate in shape. The other end of the blank without the retaining lug can be open or closed as required and is formed from planar edges of the front, rear and side faces.

The blank is formed by attaching the side wall flap to the inner surface of the front or rear face and preferably attaching the retaining lug portion in a locking position. Preferably the forming actions are completed prior to supply for packaging and the formed packaging is then moved to a flattened condition for transport whereupon, at the location of the tool packaging, the blank moved to an erected condition and the tool inserted without the need for any further forming action on the blank.

Preferably the erection movement is one movement arid causes the retaining lug to move to the required position for location of the tool therewith.

Typically the majority of the surface area of each of the front, rear and side faces of the blank are formed from single layers of material.

In one embodiment the packaging is provided with a means to allow the packaging and tool to be hung from a rack for display. In an alternative embodiment the tool and packaging is hung for display by engagement of the handle of the tool with a rack.

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example, wherein:- Figure 1 illustrates a blank according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the blank of Figure 1 when erected Figure 3 illustrates the packaging of Figure 2 in use to package a tool; Figure 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment of packaging according to the invention; Figure 5 illustrates a perspective view of a further embodiment of the invention; Figure 6 illustrates an elevation of the blank for the embodiment of Figure 5; and Figure 7 illustrates an end view of the erected package of Figure 5.

Referring firstly to figure 1, there is illustrated a blank 2 of board material with fold lines 4,6,8,9,.10,11 and a cut formed by cut line 13 and arcuate cut line 15. The blank includes a front face 16, a back face 18, side walls 20 and 22 and a flap 24 is provided for adhering to the area 25 to form the blank into the packaging means. At the same time the portion 30 is adhered to the portion 35 of a protruding portion on the rear face 18.

When the portions 24 and 30 are adhered the blank is formed and is moved to a flattened form for supply to the packaging apparatus. At that location the blank can be erected without any further forming processes, for the insertion of the tool to be packaged.

When moved to the erected form as shown in Figure 2 there is provided first and second open ends 12,14. The open end 12 is provided with a retaining lug 32 which is formed when the portion 30 of the blank is glued to the portion 35 of the rear face as shown in Figure 1 and the provision of the cut line 13, 15 and fold lines 9,11. The front face 16 and the rear face 18 have a protruding portion 34, 36 defined by arcuate edges 28, 29 and 31 respectively at this first end 12.

The arrows 40,42 indicate the movement required of the front face with respect to the rear face to move the packaging from the flattened to erected form and it will be appreciated that said movement is simple which is of advantage in packaging machinery.

Figure 3 illustrate the packaging of Figure 2 in use to package a paint brush comprising a head portion 44 with bristles 46 viewable through a display aperture 38 in the packaging, and a handle portion 48 with a hanging aperture 50. The head portion of the paint brush 6 is contained within the packaging 2 and is, surrounded by front face 16, back face 18 and side faces 20 and 22..

The provision of the retaining lug 32 serves to locate the packaging on the paint brush handle as shown by contacting the same adjacent the head portion and so the packaging is retained on the paint brush and cannot be easily removed.

The blank and package can be of different sizes and shape in order to accommodate brushes of different sizes and tools of different shape without altering the overall design of the blank.

The packaging of the present invention is also advantageous over the prior art in that the erection of the blank and placing of the tool, typically through the open end 14 is very efficient. The blank can be folded and adhered in the appropriate places but then flat packed until use is required. When the packaging is required, a small force applied instantly opens the packaging into an erect form into which the tool can be inserted.

In the embodiment of Figures 1-3 the tool can be displayed for sale by placing a rod through the aperture 50 on the tool handle, thereby suspending the tool and packaging with the open end 12 and retaining lug upper most. An alternative arrangement is shown in Figure 4 wherein the same concept is used and uses the same reference numerals with the following exceptions. A location means, in this case an aperture 60, is provided which can be placed over a rod for shop display purposes, a display aperture 38 is provided in the front panel 16 through which the bristles of the head portion 44 can be viewed and the retaining lug 32 is provided to assist in retaining the packaging in place on the tool. Front face 16 and back face 18 again have protruding portions 34 and 36 defined by arcuate edges 28, 29 and 31. The area around the aperture 60 is formed as 7 double ply to provide an edge 90 which acts as a further retaining means for at least a part of the head portion of the paint brush to prevent the same from easily passing through that opening. The blank and package can be of different sizes and shape in order to accommodate brushes of different sizes and tools of different shape without altering the overall design of the blank.

Figures 5,6 and 7 illustrate a yet further embodiment of the invention adapted to contain a relatively slim tool, in this case a small paint brush 70, shown in broken lines in Figure 5. In this case the package is formed with a back panel 72 with rear face 74, front face 76 and a pocket 78 in which the tool head is located as shown. Once again, a retaining lug 80 is provided which serves to engage the handle of the tool. The retaining lug is formed by the provision of the cut 82 in the blank as shown in Figure 6 and the folding of the defined portion 84 to form the lug. As with the other embodiments previously described the package can be formed from the blank under factory conditions, flattened for storage and transport and then erected at the site of packaging for the insertion of the tool.

The blank is preferably made of board material with a printed outer surface, which is water-repellent. The use of board rather than plastic makes the packaging more environmentally friendly and in the design shown herein is sufficiently rigid even in the single thickness designs shown to protect the bristles of the brush while being cheaper than plastic packaging and easier to assemble.

Claims

1 A packaging means for a tool with a head portion connected to a handle portion, said packaging having a front face, a back face, and two side faces for the containment of at least part of the head portion of the tool, and first and second ends with at least one of the ends being open and through which the handle portion of the tool passes and wherein at said end a retaining lug is formed positioned for location with the tool to retain the packaging in position on the tool.

2 A packaging means according to claim 1 wherein the retaining lug is positioned substantially parallel with and intermediate the side faces.

3. A packaging means according to claim 1 wherein the retaining lug passes between the front and rear faces and is positioned so as to engage with one side of the handle portion of the tool, typically adjacent the head portion.

4 A packaging means according to claim 3 wherein the retaining lug can be formed so as to depend from one of the front or rear faces towards the other of the front or rear faces and is attached to the inner side of the same.

A packaging means according to any of the preceding claims wherein the tool is positioned and secured in the same when the packaging means and tool are displayed for sale as a retail pack.

6 A packaging means according to claim 5 wherein the when displayed as a retail pack the tool cannot be removed from the packaging without either taking the tool down from display and then manipulating the packaging or breaking the packaging means. ' 9 7 A packaging means in accordance with any of the preceding claims wherein the packaging is made from board material.

8 A packaging means according to any of the preceding claims wherein the tool is a paint brush with the head portion, including bristles, located within the packaging means.

9 A packaging means according to claim 8 wherein the front face includes a window portion to allow viewing of the bristles of the paint brush.

A blank for the formation therefrom of a package for a tool, said blank comprising a front face and rear face joined on one side by a first side face, and at the other side of one of the front or rear faces depends a second side face portion with a flap for attachment to the free edge of the other of the front or rear face, and wherein intermediate the ends of one of the side walls a cut depends from one of the rear or front faces into the side wall to allow the formation of a retaining lug when the package is formed.

11 A blank according to claim 10 wherein at the end of the blank at which the cut is provided there is formed a protruding portion which extends along part of the front face, side wall and part of the rear face and the cut is formed at this protruding portion.

12 A blank according to claim 11 wherein the shape of the cut is similar to the shape of the edge of the protruding portion of the front or rear face of the blank.

13 A blank according to claim 12 wherein the cut is arcuate in shape.

14 A blank according to claim 10 wherein the blank is formed into packaging means by attaching the side wall flap to the inner surface of the front or rear face and attaching the retaining lug portion to the front or rear face to move the same into a retaining position.

A blank according to claim 14 wherein the forming actions are completed prior to supply for packaging of the tool therein and the formed packaging is then moved to a flattened condition for transport.

16 A blank according to claim 15 wherein at the location of the tool packaging, the blank is moved to an erected condition and the tool inserted without the need for further forming of the blank.

17 A packaging means according to claim 1 wherein an aperture is provided to allow the packaging means with tool to be hung from a rack for display.

18 A packaging means according to claim 1 wherein the tool and packaging is hung for display by engagement of the handle of the tool with a rack.

19 A packaging means as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A blank as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.