IES970875A2 - A package - Google Patents

Abstract

A package (1) has an outer housing (2) within which a product support panel (3) is mounted for supporting a product such as a T-shirt or the like within the package (1). The panel (3) has a hanger (4) at a top of the panel (3) which projects upwardly through a slot (5) in the housing (2). A flap (25) folds down to display a product within the package (1). <Fig. 1>

Description

This invention relates to a package and to a blank for forming a package.

The invention is particularly concerned with a package for use in the sale of goods in retail outlets.

According to the invention there is provided a package comprising an outer housing and a product support mounted within the outer housing, the product support having a hanger which projects outwardly through a slot at a top of the outer housing. Thus advantageously the package may be hung for display of the product within the package and conveniently as the product is retained within the package it is protected against damage.

In a preferred embodiment, the hanger has a pair of grooves on opposite sides of the hanger for releasable interlocking engagement with opposite sides of the slot. Thus advantageously the hanger and the outer housing are interlocked to prevent inadvertent removal of the hanger from the package.

Conveniently, the hanger has a integral hand grip thus 20 when a person buys the product the hand grip can be used to carry the package with the product fully protected within the housing.

In a preferred embodiment the hanger has a pair of spacedapart side posts interconnected at their outer ends by a 25 cross piece. Ideally a hanging notch is provided on an underside of the cross piece. Thus advantageously the notch can engage a hanging rail or the like to centralise the hanger on the rail thus supporting the package in an upright display position. i '/ Z Z^Z' «tr If 9, }>v 970875 - 2 In a preferred embodiment the product support comprises a flat blank which is preferably of card but may be of other materials such as plastics materials if desired. Fold lines may be provided intermediate the ends of the blank for retaining the product support folded within the outer housing when the outer housing is in a closed position.

In another embodiment the outer housing has a downwardly open upper skirt with a front wall, a back wall, a top wall connecting upper ends of the front and back walls and sidewalls extending between the front and back walls, the back wall extending downwardly of the front wall and having a flap at a lower end of the back wall which is foldable upwardly for releasably interlocking with the front wall. Thus advantageously the flap may be opened down to display the product within the package and for transport or after sale the flap may be folded upwardly to close the product within the package to protect the product and to facilitate carrying the product.

In a preferred embodiment a pair of spaced-apart notches are provided along a free outer edge of the flap dividing the flap into a centre tab and two outer tabs, one outer tab at each side of the centred tab, the centre tab being engagable with one face of the front wall and the outer tabs being engagable with the opposite face of the front wall with a lower edge of the front wall engaging in the notches to releasably interlock the flap with the front wall.

Preferably a central portion of the lower edge of the front wall has an outwardly projecting lip for complementary interengagement with the centre tab. This advantageously gives a more positive engagement between the centre tab of the flap and the lip of the front wall. - 3 970875 In another aspect the invention provides a blank for forming the package substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In a further aspect the invention provides a blank for forming a product support for the package substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings .

The invention will be more clearly understood by the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a package according to the invention; Fig. 2 is another perspective view showing the package .in an open position; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a blank for forming an outer housing of the package; and Fig. 4 is a plan view of a blank for forming a product support which is mounted within the outer housing.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a package according to the invention indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The package 1 has an outer housing 2 within which a product support panel 3 is mounted for supporting a product such as a T-shirt or the like within the package 1. The product support panel 3 has a hanger 4 at a top of the product support panel 3. The hanger 4 970875 - 4 projects upwardly and outwardly through a slot 5 in the housing 2.

The product support panel 3 is shown in more detail in Fig. 4 and comprises a rectangular blank 4 of card having transverse fold lines 7,8 intermediate a top and a bottom of the blank 4 dividing the blank 4 into an upper portion 9 and a lower folding flap 10 which folds upwardly over part of the upper portion 9 when the product support panel 3 is mounted within the outer housing 2 in the closed position.

The hanger 4 has a pair of spaced-apart side posts 14 projecting outwardly at an upper edge of the panel 3. Free outer ends of the posts 14 are interconnected by a cross piece 15. Thus the hanger 4 also forms a hand grip having a slot 16 for insertion of the fingers of the hand. A hanging notch 17 is provided centrally on an underside of the cross piece 15 for engagement with a hanging rail or the like to support the package 1 upright when hung on the rail. It will be noted that a pair of grooves 18 are provided at each side of the hanger 4 on an outside of each post 14 where the post 14 meets the upper portion 9 of the panel 3. These grooves 18 releasably interlock with sides of the slot 5 to retain the hanger 4 in engagement with the outer housing 2. As can be seen in Fig. 2 the grooves 18 curve outwardly at each side of the slot 5.

The outer housing 2 has a downwardly open upper skirt with a front wall 20, a back wall 21, a top wall 22 connecting upper ends of the front wall 20 and back wall 21. Sidewalls 23,24 extend between the front wall 20 and back wall 21. The back wall 21 extends downwardly of the front wall 20 and has a flap 25 at a lower end of the back wall 970875 - 5 21 which is foldable upwardly for releasably interlocking with the front wall 20 as shown in Fig. 1.

A pair of spaced-apart notches 27 are provided along a free outer edge of the flap 25 dividing the flap 25 into a centre tab 28 and two outer tabs 29. The centre tab is engagable with one face of the front wall 20 and the outer tabs 29 are engagable with the opposite of the front wall 20 with a lower edge of the front wall 20 engaging in the notches 27 as shown in Fig. 1 to releasably interlock the flap 25 with the front wall 20. It will be noted that a central portion of the lower edge of the front wall 20 has an outwardly projecting lip 30 for complementary interengagement with the centre tab 28 giving more positive engagement of the front wall 20 with the flap 25.

Fig. 3 shows a blank used to form the outer housing 2. Wings 32 are provided at each of the front wall panel 20 to overlap associated wings 33 at an upper end of the back wall panel 21. to form the sidewalls 23,24, tabs 34 on the wings 32 engaging in complementary slots 35 on the wings 33 thus forming the upper skirt portion of the package 1.

In use, a product such as a shirt is mounted on the product support panel 3. The package 1 can be hung in an open position as shown in Fig. 2 to display the product for sale. For transport or storage the package may be closed as shown in Fig. 1 to protect the product within the outer housing 2.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in both construction and detail.

Claims (5)

1. A package comprising an outer housing and a product support mounted within the outer housing, the product support having a hanger which projects outwardly through a slot at a top of the outer housing.

2. A package as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hanger has a pair of grooves on opposite sides of the hanger for releasable interlocking engagement with opposite sides of the slot and the hanger has an integral hand grip.

3. A package as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the outer housing has a downwardly open upper skirt with a front wall, a back wall, a top wall connecting upper ends of the front and back walls and sidewalls extending between the front and back walls, the back wall extending downwardly of the front wall and having a . flap at a lower end of the back wall which is foldable upwardly for releasably interlocking with the front wall.

4. A package as claimed in claim 3 wherein a pair of spaced-apart notches are provided along a free outer edge of the flap dividing the flap into a centre tab and two outer tabs, one outer tab at each side of the centred tab, the centre tab being engagable with one face of the front wall and the outer tabs being engagable with the opposite face of the front wall with a lower edge of the front wall engaging in the notches to releasably interlock the flap with the front wall, a central portion of the lower edge of the front wall having an outwardly projecting lip for complementary interengagement with the centre tab. 970075 - 7

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