U.S. patent application number 11/222190 was filed with the patent office on 2007-03-08 for package for storing personal care items.
This patent application is currently assigned to CONOPCO, INC., d/b/a UNILEVER, CONOPCO, INC., d/b/a UNILEVER. Invention is credited to Thomas Daniel Arkins.
Application Number | 20070051726 11/222190 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37829105 |
Filed Date | 2007-03-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070051726 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Arkins; Thomas Daniel |
March 8, 2007 |
Package for storing personal care items
Abstract
A package is provided which includes a tray with a dispensing
opening surrounded by a skirt projecting outwardly. The skirt on
one corner is configured with a cut-away edge to receive and snap
secure a locking member. A lid is slideable along an upper surface
of the skirt. The locking member is formed on a corner of the lid
as a downward bent tab which mates with the cut-away to secure the
lid against sliding off the tray.
Inventors: |
Arkins; Thomas Daniel;
(Ridgefield, CT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
UNILEVER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY GROUP
700 SYLVAN AVENUE,
BLDG C2 SOUTH
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS
NJ
07632-3100
US
|
Assignee: |
CONOPCO, INC., d/b/a
UNILEVER
|
Family ID: |
37829105 |
Appl. No.: |
11/222190 |
Filed: |
September 8, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/345.1 ;
220/788 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 43/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/345.1 ;
220/788 |
International
Class: |
B65D 43/12 20060101
B65D043/12; B65D 41/16 20060101 B65D041/16 |
Claims
1. A package comprising: a tray having a floor panel from which
upwardly projects a first and second side panel facing each other,
a rear and front panel facing each other and each connecting the
first and second side panels, a dispensing opening opposite the
floor panel, a skirt surrounding the dispensing opening projecting
outward from and having first, second, rear and front lateral
members tracing an upper edge of respectively the first, second,
rear and front panels, the skirt having four corners, at least one
of the four corners configured as a cut-away to receive and snap
secure a locking member; a lid slideable along an upper surface of
the skirt, the lid comprising a pair of parallel rails to slideably
engage the skirt along the first and second lateral members, the
locking member formed on a corner of the lid as a downward bent tab
which mates with the cut-away to secure the lid against sliding off
the skirt.
2. A package according to claim 1 wherein the tab has a rounded
outer edge upon which the tab slides along the upper surface of the
skirt until mating with the cut-away.
3. The package according to claim 1 wherein the cut-away is a
straight edge and other remaining corners of the skirt are
rounded.
4. The package according to claim 1 wherein the lid is transparent
or translucent and the tray is opaque.
5. The package according to claim 1 wherein the lid further
comprises a rear rail orthogonal to the pair of parallel rails and
engaging the rear member of the skirt upon the lid fully covering
the dispensing opening and functioning as a stop.
6. The package according to claim 1 wherein the parallel rails are
U-shaped.
7. The package according to claim 5 wherein the lid has four
corners none occupied by the parallel or rear rails.
8. The package according to claim 1 further comprising a flexible
foil positioned beneath the lid extending over the dispensing
opening and adhesively attached to the upper surface of the
skirt.
9. The package according to claim 8 wherein the foil is opaque.
10. The package according to claim 8 wherein a corner of the foil
aligned with the cut-away of the skirt is bent downward along an
edge of the cut-away.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention concerns a package for storing personal care
products.
[0003] 2. The Related Art
[0004] There are a variety of personal care products which require
packaging in a tray or tub container. Illustrative but not limiting
personal care products may include towelettes, dry cleansing wipes,
impregnated and non-impregnated pads, swab sticks and similar types
of single dose unit articles. Functional areas include products for
treating the oral cavity, skin, hair, feet and underarm areas.
[0005] Relevant art includes U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,331 B2 (Okin et
al.). Therein is reported a package for dispensing towelettes. The
towelettes are stored within a container having a hinged lid
securable through a button flap.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,266 B2 (Flaig et al.) discloses a
packaged cosmetic product. Therein a tub is filled with a plurality
of sachets formulated with an effervescent cleanser composition. A
foil having breathability for carbon dioxide is disposed sealingly
across a dispensing opening of the tub. A hingedly attached cover
is closable over a mouth of the tub to secure contents.
[0007] A problem with hinged containers is that most often they are
formed in a unitary molding process. Consequently, the lid or cover
must be of the same plastic as that of the tub or tray. Sometimes
it is desirable to utilize different plastics to achieve different
functionalities or improved cost structure. A package may require
an opaque tray in combination with a transparent lid.
Alternatively, there may be requirements for a flexible walled tray
and a relatively rigid lid or vice versa. In all these situations
the materials of construction between the tray or tub and the lid
or cover must be different. Packaging is sought which allows for
diversity of materials.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A Package is Provided Which Includes:
[0008] a tray having a floor panel from which upwardly projects a
first and second side panel facing each other, a rear and front
panel facing each other and each connecting the first and second
side panels, a dispensing opening opposite the floor panel, a skirt
surrounding the dispensing opening projecting outward from and
having first, second, rear and front lateral members tracing an
upper edge of respectively the first, second, rear and front
panels, the skirt having four corners, at least one of the four
corners configured as a cut-away to receive and snap secure a
locking member;
[0009] a lid slideable along an upper surface of the skirt, the lid
including a pair of parallel rails to slideably engage the skirt
along the first and second lateral members, the locking member
formed on a corner of the lid as a downward bent tab which mates
with the cut-away to secure the lid against sliding off the
skirt.
[0010] Advantageously, the tab has a rounded outer edge upon which
the tab slides along the upper surface of the skirt until mating
with the cut-away. In a preferred embodiment the cut-away is a
straight edge. Other remaining corners for the skirt in this
embodiment are rounded.
[0011] Preferably the lid is transparent or translucent while the
tray is opaque. Illustrative materials of construction for the lid
include polyvinyl chloride, polyethyleneterephthalate and clarified
polypropylene. Most preferred is polyvinyl chloride. The tray may
utilize a variety of plastics including polyethylene, polypropylene
and polystyrene. Most preferred is high-density polyethylene.
[0012] The lid in a preferred embodiment features a rear rail
orthogonal to the pair of parallel rails. The rear rail engages a
rear member of the skirt upon the lid fully covering the dispensing
opening. Engagement of the rear rail functions as a stop mechanism
to prevent any further forward sliding of the lid. The parallel and
rear rails are integrally molded with the lid in a U-shaped form,
the U facing inward toward a cavity of the tray. In the preferred
embodiment, the lid has four corners, none of which are occupied by
the parallel or rear rails. This means there are only three rails
segments each being separated from the other. These segments are
the two parallel rails and the rear rail.
[0013] A flexible foil covers the dispensing opening and adhesively
attaches to the upper surface of the skirt. The lid slides over the
flexible foil. Preferably the foil is opaque and may include a
printing or a label with printing to indicate brand, package
contents, manufacturer, weight, ingredients and/or UPC barcode
symbol. For this embodiment, the lid is transparent to render the
writing visible. Suitable materials of construction for the foil
include films of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester and
polyvinyl chloride. The film may be multi-layered. Panels of the
tray may also have multiple layers of different plastics or blends
thereof.
[0014] A corner of the foil aligned with the cut-away of the skirt
is bent downward along an edge of the cut-away. This arrangement
allows a grab point for initiating removal of the foil from over
the dispensing opening.
[0015] Upon first use, the lid is slid along the skirt to expose
the foil. A consumer then peels back the foil or may totally remove
the foil. Thereupon the lid is slid back across the skirt until the
locking member tab snaps securely over the cut-away. The tray
dispensing opening is thereby re-sealed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0016] Various advantages and features of the present invention are
illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a plan perspective view of a preferred embodiment
of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a plan perspective view of the embodiment shown in
FIG. 1 with the lid slideably partially removed from covering the
dispensing opening;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a partial view of a corner of the embodiment shown
in FIG. 1 featuring details of the locking member; and
[0020] FIG. 4 is a bottom surface perspective view of the lid now
separated from the package.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] Herein is reported a package with a non-unitary molded
construction and a special locking mechanism for retaining a lid
over an open mouth of a tub.
[0022] FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the package
according to the present invention. The package includes a tray 2.
The tray includes a floor panel 4 from which upwardly project a
first side panel 6, a second side panel 8, a rear panel 10 and a
front panel 12. The first and second side panels 6, 8 are
substantially parallel and face one another. Likewise the rear and
front panels 10, 12 are substantially parallel and face one
another. Further, the rear and front panels connect the first and
second side panels to one another.
[0023] A dispensing opening 14 is positioned opposite the floor
panel 4. The dispensing opening allows entry into a cavity of the
tray defined by the array of panels.
[0024] A skirt 16 surrounds the dispensing opening projecting
outward away from the tray. The skirt features first and second
lateral members 18, 20 parallel to one another bridged by rear and
front lateral members 22, 24. These members trace an upper edge of
the first, second, rear and front panels of the tray, respectively.
FIG. 2 best illustrates the various members of the skirt.
[0025] Skirt 16 features four corners, one of which is configured
as a cut-away 26 best illustrated in FIG. 3. The cut-away has a
straight edge. The remaining corners 28 of the skirt are
rounded.
[0026] A lid 30 is slideable along an upper surface of the skirt.
The lid includes a pair of parallel rails 32, 34 best illustrated
in FIG. 4. The parallel rails engage the skirt along the first and
second lateral members 18, 20 to achieve slideability along a
length of the tray. A rear rail 36 is arranged on a trailing edge
of the lid. The function of the rear rail is to stop motion of the
lid by engaging rear member 22 of the skirt upon the lid fully
covering the dispensing opening. Each of the parallel rails and the
rear rail have a U-shaped configuration. The concave area of the U
faces inward toward the cavity of the tray.
[0027] FIG. 3 illustrates a downwardly bent tab 38 formed on a
corner of the lid. This tab mates with the cut-away corner 26 of
the skirt. This mating arrangement secures the lid against sliding
off the tray. A rounded outer edge 40 on tab 38 allows the tab to
minimize friction as it slides along an upper surface of second
lateral member 20.
[0028] A flexible foil 42 is positioned beneath the lid. This foil
extends over the dispensing opening and adhesively attaches to the
upper surface of the skirt. A corner 44 of the foil is aligned with
the cut-away of the skirt and bent downward along an edge of the
cut-away.
[0029] For definitional purposes the term "comprising" is meant not
to be limiting to any subsequently stated elements but rather to
encompass non-specified elements of major or minor functional
importance. In other words, the listed steps, elements or options
need not be exhaustive.
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