U.S. patent application number 09/778369 was filed with the patent office on 2001-07-12 for clamshell package including both permanent and resealable fastening structure.
This patent application is currently assigned to Sony Corporation. Invention is credited to Glassman, Ellen Tave.
Application Number | 20010007308 09/778369 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23708121 |
Filed Date | 2001-07-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010007308 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Glassman, Ellen Tave |
July 12, 2001 |
Clamshell package including both permanent and resealable fastening
structure
Abstract
A clamshell package for holding and displaying a product
including first and second outer clamshell members each having
three dimensionally shaped pocket areas for holding a portion of
the product. The clamshell members also each include respective
sealing portions which may be sealed together in a permanent
manner. The package further includes selectively engageable
fastening structure disposed on the first and second outer
clamshell members generally adjacent the first and second sealing
portions. When the sealing portions are removed, such as by cutting
off the sealing portions, the selectively engageable fastening
structure may be used to allow subsequent selective access to the
product. A hinge portion may also be provided and may be formed
from a pair of the sealing portions of the clamshell members to
allow hinged movement of the clamshell members after other sealing
portions have been removed by the user.
Inventors: |
Glassman, Ellen Tave;
(Haworth, NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WOOD, HERRON & EVANS, L.L.P.
2700 Carew Tower
Cincinnati
OH
45202
US
|
Assignee: |
Sony Corporation
|
Family ID: |
23708121 |
Appl. No.: |
09/778369 |
Filed: |
February 7, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09778369 |
Feb 7, 2001 |
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09430571 |
Oct 29, 1999 |
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6227369 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/469 ;
206/471 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 75/22 20130101;
B65D 25/22 20130101; B65D 43/162 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/469 ;
206/471 |
International
Class: |
B65D 073/00 |
Claims
The scope of the invention itself should only be defined by the
appended claims, wherein I claim:
1. A clamshell package for holding and displaying a product, the
package comprising: a first outer clamshell member having a first
three dimensional pocket area for holding a portion of a product
and further having a first removable sealing portion, a second
outer clamshell member having a second three dimensional pocket
area for holding another portion of said product and further having
a second removable sealing portion adapted to be sealed to said
first sealing portion, and selectively engageable fastening
structure disposed on the first and second outer clamshell members
generally adjacent said first and second sealing portions when said
sealing portions are sealed to each other, said first and second
sealing portions being disposed with respect to said fastening
structure such that, when said sealing portions are removed, said
fastening structure may be engaged and disengaged to allow
selective access to the product.
2. The clamshell package of claim 1, wherein said first and second
sealing portions are heat sealed together.
3. The clamshell package of claim 1, wherein said first and second
sealing portions are adhesively secured together.
4. The clamshell package of claim 1, wherein said selectively
engageable fastening structure further comprises at least one bead
disposed along a peripheral portion of one of said first and second
outer clamshell members and at least one mating recess disposed
along a corresponding peripheral portion of the other of said first
and second outer clamshell members.
5. The clamshell package of claim 4 further comprising a plurality
of said beads disposed about respective peripheral portions of said
one outer clamshell member and a corresponding plurality of mating
recesses disposed about respective peripheral portions of said
other outer clamshell member.
6. The clamshell package of claim 1 further including a hinge
portion connecting respective peripheral portions of said first and
second outer clamshell members to allow selective opening and
closing of said clamshells along said hinge portion by disengaging
and engaging said fastening structure.
7. The clamshell package of claim 6, wherein said hinge portion is
formed at least in part by the first and second sealing portions of
said first and second outer clamshell members.
8. The clamshell package of claim 7, wherein said hinge portion is
disposed along an upper peripheral portion of said first and second
outer clamshell members.
9. The clamshell package of claim 7 further comprising a series of
perforations generally extending adjacent said first and second
sealing portions to provide a cutting indicator line for removing
said first and second sealing portions.
10. The clamshell package of claim 7 further comprising respective
pairs of said removable sealing portions on opposite sides of said
first and second outer clamshell members, wherein the sealing
portions on the opposite sides may be removed leaving the hinge
portion in place.
11. The clamshell package of claim 1, wherein the selectively
engageable fastening structure further comprises respective inner
and outer surfaces of said first and second outer clamshell
members, said inner and outer surfaces nesting together in a
selectively engageable manner.
12. The clamshell package of claim 1 further comprising a lower
surface on at least one of said first and second outer clamshell
members, said lower surface including support structure allowing
the first and second outer clamshell members to be free-standing
when secured together with a product contained therein.
13. The clamshell package of claim 1, wherein said first and second
sealing portions are disposed peripherally outside of said
fastening structure.
14. A clamshell package for holding and displaying a product, the
package comprising: a first outer clamshell member having a first
three dimensional pocket area for holding a portion of a product
and further having a first plurality of removable sealing portions,
a second outer clamshell member having a second three dimensional
pocket area for holding another portion of said product and further
having a second plurality of removable sealing portions adapted to
be respectively sealed to said first plurality of removable sealing
portions, selectively engageable fastening structure disposed on
the first and second outer clamshell members generally adjacent
said first and second sealing portions when said sealing portions
are sealed to each other, said first and second sealing portions
being disposed with respect to said fastening structure such that,
when said sealing portions are removed, said fastening structure
may be engaged and disengaged to allow selective access to the
product, and a cutting indicator line disposed adjacent at least
one of the plurality of first and second sealing portions for
indicating where a cut may be made to remove said one of the
plurality of first and second sealing portions after sealing
thereof.
15. The clamshell package of claim 14, wherein said first and
second sealing portions are heat sealed together.
16. The clamshell package of claim 14, wherein said first and
second sealing portions are adhesively secured together.
17. The clamshell package of claim 14, wherein said selectively
engageable fastening structure further comprises at least one bead
disposed along a peripheral portion of one of said first and second
outer clamshell members and at least one mating recess disposed
along a corresponding peripheral portion of the other of said first
and second outer clamshell members.
18. The clamshell package of claim 17 further comprising a
plurality of said beads disposed about respective peripheral
portions of said one outer clamshell member and a corresponding
plurality of mating recesses disposed about respective peripheral
portions of said other outer clamshell member.
19. The clamshell package of claim 14 further including a hinge
portion connecting respective peripheral portions of said first and
second outer clamshell members to allow selective opening and
closing of said clamshells along said hinge portion by disengaging
and engaging said fastening structure.
20. The clamshell package of claim 19, wherein said hinge portion
is formed at least in part by the first and second sealing portions
of said first and second outer clamshell members.
21. The clamshell package of claim 20, wherein said hinge portion
is disposed along an upper peripheral portion of said first and
second outer clamshell members.
22. The clamshell package of claim 19 further comprising respective
pairs of removable sealing portions on opposite sides of said first
and second outer clamshell members, wherein the sealing portions on
the opposite sides may be removed leaving the hinge portion in
place.
23. The clamshell package of claim 14, wherein said cutting
indicator line further comprises a series of perforations.
24. The clamshell package of claim 14, wherein said fastening
structure further comprises respective inner and outer surfaces of
said first and second outer clamshell members, said inner and outer
surfaces nesting together in a selectively engageable manner.
25. The clamshell package of claim 14 further comprising a lower
surface on at least one of said first and second outer clamshell
members, said lower surface including support structure allowing
the first and second outer clamshell members to be free-standing
when secured together with a product contained therein.
26. The clamshell package of claim 14, wherein said first and
second sealing portions are disposed peripherally outside of said
fastening structure.
27. A clamshell package for holding and displaying a product, the
package comprising: a first outer clamshell member having a
periphery and a first three dimensional pocket area for holding a
portion of the product and further having a first removable sealing
flange extending around at least substantially the entire periphery
of said first outer clamshell member, a second outer clamshell
member having a periphery and a second three dimensional pocket
area for holding another portion of the product and further having
a second removable sealing flange adapted to be respectively sealed
to said first sealing flange and extending around at least
substantially the entire periphery of said second outer clamshell
member, selectively engageable fastening structure disposed on the
first and second outer clamshell members generally adjacent said
first and second sealing flanges when said sealing flanges are
sealed to each other, said first and second sealing flanges being
disposed with respect to said fastening structure such that, when
said sealing flanges are removed, said fastening structure may be
engaged and disengaged to allow selective access to the product,
and a cutting indicator line disposed on at least one of said
flanges adjacent at least one of the peripherally outside of the
selectively engageable fastening structure for indicating where a
cut may be made to remove said first and second sealing flanges
after sealing thereof.
28. The clamshell package of claim 27, wherein said cutting
indicator line comprises a series of perforations.
29. The clamshell package of claim 28, wherein said perforations
extend along two opposite side edges and a top edge of said
package.
30. The clamshell package of claim 27, wherein the selectively
engageable fastening structure further comprises respective inner
and outer surfaces of said first and second outer clamshell
members, said inner and outer surfaces nesting together in a
selectively engageable manner.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention generally relates to packages for
containing and displaying products and, more specifically, to
so-called clamshell packages having two halves typically formed of
plastic and sealed together prior to purchase use by a retail
consumer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Clamshell or blister pack packaging is a very popular type
of packaging for many consumer products, including electrical and
electronic products, such as portable compact disc players,
cassette recorders or players and other portable audio or video
products. Quite often, the clamshell packaging is designed to be
theft resistant while also enabling the product design and features
to be clearly displayed to the consumer at the retail level.
However, while achieving these objectives, this type of packaging
can be very difficult to open for young and old consumers alike.
Typically, the consumer must use scissors, a knife or another
device with a sharp cutting edge to open the package and, even in
such cases, many packages can still be difficult to open.
[0003] It would therefore be desirable to provide a clamshell
package that is both permanently sealable, for example, for
shipment and retail display purposes and to provide theft
resistance, but which is subsequently usable in a resealable manner
by the consumer. It would further be desirable to provide a
clamshell package that is easier for consumers to open than
previous clamshell package and blister pack designs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention generally provides a clamshell package
for holding and displaying a product in which first and second
outer clamshell members may be initially permanently sealed
together and, subsequently, affixed to one another by a consumer in
a selectively engageable manner to allow selective access to the
product. In one preferred configuration, the first outer clamshell
member includes a first three dimensional pocket area for holding a
portion of the product and a second outer clamshell member having a
second three dimensional pocket area for holding another portion of
the product. Each of the first and second outer clamshell members
include a removable sealing portion with the removable sealing
portions adapted to be permanently sealed together to hold the
product between the clamshell members. In further accordance with
the invention, selectively engageble fastening structure is
disposed on the first and second outer clamshell members generally
adjacent the first and second sealing portions when the sealing
portions are sealed to each other. The first and second sealing
portions may be removed such that the consumer may then selectively
engage and disengage the fastening structure to allow selective
access to the product and reuse of the clamshell package.
[0005] Although other sealing methods may be used, one preferred
manner is to heat seal or ultrasonically seal the sealing portions
together, while another option may be to adhesively secure the
sealing portions together. Each method results in a permanent
connection between the clamshell members. The selectively
engageable fastening structure may also have many different
configurations. In general, it is desirable to provide fastening
structure of the type enabling a simple snap-fit or frictional fit
of the two clamshell members together. For example, the fastening
structure may comprise at least one bead disposed along a
peripheral portion of one of the first and second outer clamshell
members and a mating recess disposed along a corresponding
peripheral portion of the other clamshell member. One or more beads
may then be selectively received in a corresponding one or more
recesses to selectively open and close the clamshell members.
Optionally, the clamshell members may simply have respective inner
and outer surfaces that nest together in either a snap-fit or
frictional fitting manner. Other connection methods and structures
are possible as well.
[0006] In one embodiment of the invention, a plurality of beads are
disposed about respective peripheral portions of one of the outer
clamshell members and a corresponding plurality of mating recesses
are disposed about respective peripheral portions of the other
clamshell member. This can allow, for example, the use of a hinge
portion between two of the beads and recesses such that the
consumer may open and close the clamshells using the hinge portion
and engage the beads and recesses with one another to close the
clamshell. Other configurations using a hinge structure and one or
more selectively engageable fastening structures are within the
scope of this invention as well. In the preferred embodiment, the
hinge portion is formed at least in part by respective sealing
portions of the first and second outer clamshell members and is
disposed along an upper peripheral portion of the clamshell
members. One or more cutting indicator lines may be disposed
adjacent at least one of the first and second sealing portions so
that a consumer may use scissors or other means to remove the
sealing portions. This cutting indicator line may comprise a series
of perforations and the same series of perforations may be used as
a hinge line when a hinge portion is utilized in the clamshell
package. In the preferred embodiment, the first and second sealing
portions are disposed peripherally outside of the fastening
structure and the cutting indicator line or lines are disposed
between the sealing portions and the selectively engageable
fastening structure.
[0007] In one embodiment, three separate pairs of sealing portions
are utilized around the periphery of the clamshell members, with
one of the sealing portions capable of being left in place by the
consumer to provide the hinge portion. In another embodiment, the
sealing portion extends around at least substantially the entire
periphery without designating a specific hinge portion to be
optionally left intact by the consumer. In each case, the sealing
portions are easily removable by the consumer, for example, with a
pair of scissors, to leave the selectively engageable fastening
structure intact to enable further, selective access to the product
by the consumer or others.
[0008] These and other objects, advantages and features of the
invention will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary
skill in the art upon review of the following detailed description
of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clamshell package
constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;
[0010] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a fragmented
corner of the package being cut with scissors;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along line 3-3 of
FIG. 2;
[0012] FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the embodiment shown in
FIG. 1 schematically illustrating the hinged opening and closing
capability;
[0013] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a clamshell package
constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the
invention;
[0014] FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmented view of a lower corner of
the clamshell package shown in FIG. 5; and
[0015] FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along line 7-7 of
FIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0016] A first embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS.
1-4. In this embodiment, a clamshell package 10 includes first and
second clamshell members or halves 12, 14 each with respective
three dimensionally shaped pocket areas 12a, 14a for receiving a
product (not shown). Preferably, clamshell members 12, 14 are
formed from completely transparent plastic, such as
polyvinylchloride (PVC). First and second clamshell members 12, 14
include respective flanges 16, 18 that are preferably heat sealed,
ultrasonically sealed or adhesively sealed together in a permanent
manner. Peripherally inside of flanges 16, 18, a selectively
engageable fastening structure 24 is provided and, as one of many
possibilities, comprises a bead 20 contained with a snap-fit or
frictional fit within a recess 22, as best shown in FIG. 3. A hinge
portion 28 comprises another sealing area and a plurality of sets
of perforations 30, 32, 34 are disposed respectively between
sealing areas 19, 28 and 35 and the selectively engageable
fastening structures 24, 26.
[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, sealing area 19 comprises a first
sealing portion 19a on clamshell member 12 and a second sealing
portion 19b on clamshell member 14, wherein the sealing portions
19a, 19b have a substantially confronting relationship. Sealing
area 28 comprises a first sealing portion 28a on clamshell member
12 and a second sealing portion 28b on clamshell member 14, wherein
the sealing portions 28a, 28b have a substantially confronting
relationship. Sealing area 35 comprises a first sealing portion 35a
on clamshell member 12 and a second sealing portion 35b on
clamshell member 14, wherein the sealing portions 35a, 35b have a
substantially confronting relationship. Sealing portions 19a, 28a
and 35a are located near respective peripheral edges 16a, 16b and
16c of flange 16 on clamshell member 12. Sealing portions 19b, 28b
and 35b are located near respective peripheral edges 18a, 18b, and
18c of flange 18 on clamshell member 14.
[0018] As best illustrated in FIG. 2, a consumer may use a pair of
scissors 36, or another cutting method, to remove sealing areas 19,
28 and 35 by cutting along perforations 30, 32 and 34.
Alternatively, one of the sealing areas 19, 28, 35 may be left
intact, such as sealing area 28, to provide a hinge portion for
allowing selective opening and closing of clamshell package 10, as
shown in FIG. 4. In this case, the lower edge of clamshell package
10 between clamshell members 12, 14 may be left unsealed during
packaging such that it may be opened as shown in FIG. 4.
[0019] Alternatively, the lower edge may likewise include a sealing
area which may be cut off or otherwise removed in a manner similar
to the other sealing areas shown in FIG. 1.
[0020] As further shown in FIG. 1, clamshell member 12 may include
one or more feet 38, 40 for allowing clamshell package 10 to freely
stand in an upright position as shown for display purposes. As an
alternative manner of displaying clamshell package 10, an aperture
42 may be provided for receiving a display hook. A lower edge 44
formed at the bottom of clamshell members 12, 14 may provide
additional support for allowing package 10 to be free-standing.
[0021] A second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 5-7.
In this embodiment, a clamshell package 50 again includes first and
second clamshell members 52, 54, which are each preferably
transparent as in the first embodiment. Each of the first and
second clamshell members 52, 54 includes a three dimensionally
shaped pocket area 52a, 54a. Unlike the first embodiment, a
continuous sealing area 56 is provided at least substantially
around the entire periphery of package 50. Preferably, sealing area
56 is formed as a continuous flange. Although not shown in the
drawings, this sealing area may also be extended along the bottom
edge of package 50. Sealing area 56 is preferably comprised of
respective sealing portions or flanges 58, 60 of the clamshell
members 52, 54. A line of continuous perforations is provided
peripherally inside of sealing area 56 for providing a cutting
indicator line for the consumer or other user.
[0022] As further shown in FIG. 7, selectively engageable fastening
structure 64 is provided peripherally inside of perforations 62
such that, when sealing area 56 has been cut off or otherwise
removed by the user, first and second clamshell members 52, 54 may
be selectively engaged and disengaged with respect to one another
to provide selective access to the product (not shown) contained
therein. In this embodiment, selectively engageable fastening
structure 64 simply comprises a nesting structure in which an inner
surface 66 of clamshell member 52 engages an outer surface 68 of
clamshell member 54 such that clamshell member 54 nests within a
portion of clamshell member 52. As will be further understood from
FIG. 7, when sealing area 56 is removed by cutting along
perforations 62, clamshell members 52, 54 may be engaged and
disengaged with a frictional fit.
[0023] Referring again to FIG. 5, as with the first embodiment, a
hook aperture 74 may be provided in an upper portion of package 50
and a pair of feet 76, 78 may be provided on one of the clamshell
members, such as clamshell member 52, to allow package 50 to be a
free-standing structure.
[0024] Again, a lower edge 80 may additionally be provided to lend
additional support for the upstanding package 50.
[0025] While the present invention has been illustrated by a
description of the preferred embodiments and while these
embodiments have been described in some detail, it is not the
intention of the Applicant to restrict or in any way limit the
scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages
and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art.
This has been a description of the present invention, along with
the preferred methods of practicing the present invention as
currently known. Various aspects of this invention may be used
alone or in different combinations.
* * * * *