U.S. patent application number 12/052353 was filed with the patent office on 2008-11-20 for standable package.
Invention is credited to William E. MORGAN.
Application Number | 20080283695 12/052353 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40026419 |
Filed Date | 2008-11-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080283695 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MORGAN; William E. |
November 20, 2008 |
STANDABLE PACKAGE
Abstract
A standable package for holding an article. The package formed
from a unitary sheet of folded paperboard material and comprising,
when assembled, a front portion having an opening therein for
displaying a front portion of the article, a back portion connected
to the front portion at least along a portion of its sides, and
having an opening therein for displaying a back portion of the
articles, a base connected to the front portion for supporting the
article, and a support member connected to the base and the back
portion. The article is inserted between the front portion and the
back portion of the package when the sheet is folded along
horizontal fold lines separating the front portion from the base,
the base from the support member, and the support member from the
back portion. The base, the support member and a lower portion of
the front portion form a support base for the package that enables
it to stand in an upright position. The base is open at its sides
to enable opening of the package from the open sides of the support
base. In one embodiment, the front portion has at least one
outwardly folding collar extending from the front portion for
preventing the article from falling outward from the package, and
the back portion has at least one outwardly folding collar
extending from the back portion for preventing the article from
falling outward from the package. In another embodiment, the
outwardly folding collars are portions of an insert formed from a
unitary sheet of folded paperboard or plastic material, which can
be placed over the top portion of the article when it is placed in
the package.
Inventors: |
MORGAN; William E.;
(Guilford, IN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HASSE & NESBITT LLC
8837 CHAPEL SQUARE DRIVE, SUITE C
CINCINNATI
OH
45249
US
|
Family ID: |
40026419 |
Appl. No.: |
12/052353 |
Filed: |
March 20, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60938112 |
May 15, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
248/150 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 73/0092
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
248/150 |
International
Class: |
B65D 85/72 20060101
B65D085/72 |
Claims
1. A standable package for holding an article, said package formed
from a unitary sheet of folded paperboard material and comprising,
when assembled, a front portion having an opening therein for
displaying a front portion of the article and at least one first
restraining means for preventing the article from falling outward
from the package, a back portion connected to the front portion at
least along a portion of its sides, said back portion having an
opening therein for displaying a back portion of the article and at
least one second restraining means for preventing the article from
falling outward from the package, a base connected to the front
portion for supporting the article, and a support member connected
to the base and the back portion, wherein at least either one first
restraining means is an outwardly folding collar extending from the
front portion or one second restraining means is an outwardly
folding collar extending from the back portion, wherein the article
is inserted between the front portion and the back portion of the
package when the sheet is folded along horizontal fold lines
separating the front portion from the base, the base from the
support member, and the support member from the back portion, and
wherein the base, the support member and a lower portion of the
front portion form a support base for the package that enables it
to stand in an upright position, said support base being open at
its sides to enable opening of the package from the open sides of
the support base.
2. The package of claim 1 further comprising a foot portion
connected to the base and the support member, said foot portion
being glued to the base.
3. The package of claim 1 wherein the front portion comprises a lip
extending from the bottom of the opening in the front portion to
the base for further restraining the article in the package.
4. The package of claim 1 wherein the opening in the back portion
extends into the support member and the support member comprises a
lip extending from the bottom of the opening in the support member
to the base for further restraining the article in the package.
5. A standable package for holding an article, said package formed
from a unitary sheet of folded paperboard material and comprising,
when assembled, a front portion having an opening therein for
displaying a front portion of the article and at least one
outwardly folding collar extending from the front portion for
preventing the article from falling outward from the package, a
back portion connected to the front portion at least along a
portion of its sides, said back portion having an opening therein
for displaying a back portion of the article and at least one
outwardly folding collar extending from the back portion for
preventing the article from falling outward from the package, a
base connected to the front portion for supporting the article, and
a support member connected to the base and the back portion,
wherein the article is inserted between the front portion and the
back portion of the package when the sheet is folded along
horizontal fold lines separating the front portion from the base,
the base from the support member, and the support member from the
back portion, and wherein the base, the support member and a lower
portion of the front portion form a support base for the package
that enables it to stand in an upright position, said support base
being open at its sides to enable opening of the package from the
open sides of the support base.
6. The package of claim 5 further comprising a foot portion
connected to the base and the support member, said foot portion
being glued to the base.
7. The package of claim 5 that is at least partially open at its
top when assembled in a standing position.
8. The package of claim 5 wherein the front portion is connected to
the back portion by a heat sealed coating.
9. The package of claim 5 wherein the front portion comprises a lip
extending from the bottom of the opening in the front portion to
the base for further restraining the article in the package.
10. The package of claim 5 wherein the opening in the back portion
extends into the support member and the support member comprises a
lip extending from the bottom of the opening in the support member
to the base for further restraining the article in the package.
11. The package of claim 10 wherein the front portion comprises a
lip extending from the bottom of the opening in the front portion
to the base for further restraining the article in the package.
12. The package of claim 5 wherein the base has a horizontal fold
line such that when the base is pulled downward along the fold
line, the package collapses into a substantially flattened
position, and when force is exerted upward along the fold line, the
package is standable in an upright position.
13. A standable package for holding an article, said package
comprising: a) a standable package formed from a unitary sheet of
folded paperboard material and comprising, when assembled, a front
portion having an opening therein for displaying a front portion of
the article, a back portion connected to the front portion at least
along a portion of its sides, said back portion having an opening
therein for displaying a back portion of the article, a base
connected to the front portion for supporting the article, and a
support member connected to the base and the back portion, and b)
an insert formed from a unitary sheet of folded paperboard or
plastic material and comprising at least one outwardly folding
collar for preventing the article from falling outward from the
front portion of the package, at least one outwardly folding collar
for preventing the article from falling outward from the back
portion of the package, first and second sides connected to the
outwardly folding collars and forming an enclosed structure having
an opening therein for receiving the top portion of the article
placed in the package, wherein the insert is inserted over the top
portion of the article and the article is inserted between the
front portion and the back portion of the package when the sheet is
folded along horizontal fold lines separating the front portion
from the base, the base from the support member, and the support
member from the back portion, and wherein the base, the support
member and a lower portion of the front portion form a support base
for the package that enables it to stand in an upright position,
said support base being open at its sides to enable opening of the
package from the open sides of the support base.
14. The package of claim 13 further comprising a foot portion
connected to the base and the support member, said foot portion
being glued to the base.
15. The package of claim 13 that is at least partially open at its
top when assembled in a standing position.
16. The package of claim 13 wherein the front portion is connected
to the back portion by a heat sealed coating.
17. The package of claim 13 wherein the front portion comprises a
lip extending from the bottom of the opening in the front portion
to the base for further restraining the article in the package.
18. The package of claim 13 wherein the opening in the back portion
extends into the support member and the support member comprises a
lip extending from the bottom of the opening in the support member
to the base for further restraining the article in the package.
19. The package of claim 18 wherein the front portion comprises a
lip extending from the bottom of the opening in the front portion
to the base for further restraining the article in the package.
20. The package of claim 13 wherein the base has a horizontal fold
line such that when the base is pulled downward along the fold
line, the package collapses into a substantially flattened
position, and when force is exerted upward along the fold line, the
package is standable in an upright position.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of co-pending U.S.
Provisional Application 60/938,112, filed May 15, 2007.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This invention relates to a package for displaying products,
particularly products for sale to consumers at retail outlets. More
particularly, this invention relates to a standable package, made
from a single sheet of folded paperboard material, for holding an
article.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Companies often distribute and display products for sale to
consumers in various forms of blister packages. Standing blister
packages typically are made primarily or entirely of plastic, which
can be expensive and a load on the environment if made of
non-biodegradable material. It would be desirable to replace most
or all of the plastic in such a standing package with less
expensive and biodegradable paperboard material. Moreover, some
plastic blister packages are difficult to open, particularly
without using a knife or scissors.
[0004] Thus, there is a continuing need for a more
environmentally-friendly, primarily paper-containing, standing
package for an article that can be easily opened yet is still
theft-resistant.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention relates to a standable package for
holding an article, said package formed from a unitary sheet of
folded paperboard material and comprising, when assembled,
[0006] a front portion having an opening therein for displaying a
front portion of the article and at least one first restraining
means for preventing the article from falling outward from the
package,
[0007] a back portion connected to the front portion at least along
a portion of its sides, said back portion having an opening therein
for displaying a back portion of the article and at least one
second restraining means for preventing the article from falling
outward from the package,
[0008] a base connected to the front portion for supporting the
article, and
[0009] a support member connected to the base and the back
portion,
[0010] wherein at least either one first restraining means is an
outwardly folding collar extending from the front portion or one
second restraining means is an outwardly folding collar extending
from the back portion, wherein the article is inserted between the
front portion and the back portion of the package when the sheet is
folded along horizontal fold lines separating the front portion
from the base, the base from the support member, and the support
member from the back portion, and wherein the base, the support
member and a lower portion of the front portion form a support base
for the package that enables it to stand in an upright position,
said support base being open at its sides to enable opening of the
package from the open sides of the support base.
[0011] The present invention also relates to a standable package
for holding an article, said package formed from a unitary sheet of
folded paperboard material and comprising, when assembled,
[0012] a front portion having an opening therein for displaying a
front portion of the article and at least one outwardly folding
collar extending from the front portion for preventing the article
from falling outward from the package,
[0013] a back portion connected to the front portion at least along
a portion of its sides, said back portion having an opening therein
for displaying a back portion of the article and at least one
outwardly folding collar extending from the back portion for
preventing the article from falling outward from the package,
[0014] a base connected to the front portion for supporting the
article, and
[0015] a support member connected to the base and the back
portion,
[0016] wherein the article is inserted between the front portion
and the back portion of the package when the sheet is folded along
horizontal fold lines separating the front portion from the base,
the base from the support member, and the support member from the
back portion, and wherein the base, the support member and a lower
portion of the front portion form a support base for the package
that enables it to stand in an upright position, said support base
being open at its sides to enable opening of the package from the
open sides of the support base.
[0017] The invention also relates to a standable package for
holding an article, said package comprising: [0018] a) a standable
package formed from a unitary sheet of folded paperboard material
and comprising, when assembled,
[0019] a front portion having an opening therein for displaying a
front portion of the article,
[0020] a back portion connected to the front portion at least along
a portion of its sides, said back portion having an opening therein
for displaying a back portion of the article,
[0021] a base connected to the front portion for supporting the
article, and
[0022] a support member connected to the base and the back portion,
and [0023] b) an insert formed from a unitary sheet of folded
paperboard or plastic material and comprising at least one
outwardly folding collar for preventing the article from falling
outward from the front portion of the package, at least one
outwardly folding collar for preventing the article from falling
outward from the back portion of the package, first and second
sides connected to the outwardly folding collars and forming an
enclosed structure having an opening therein for receiving the top
portion of the article placed in the package,
[0024] wherein the insert is inserted over the top portion of the
article and the article is inserted between the front portion and
the back portion of the package when the sheet is folded along
horizontal fold lines separating the front portion from the base,
the base from the support member, and the support member from the
back portion, and wherein the base, the support member and a lower
portion of the front portion form a support base for the package
that enables it to stand in an upright position, said support base
being open at its sides to enable opening of the package from the
open sides of the support base.
[0025] The standable package may be made from a single sheet of
paperboard material that is sturdy but flexible enough to support
the article isserted and to prevent the package and article from
getting crushed when the package is handled.
[0026] Other features of the present invention will become apparent
from the following detailed description considered in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however,
that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration
and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which
reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be
further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to
scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely
intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures
described herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front of an assembled
standing package according to one embodiment of the invention.
[0028] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the package of FIG. 1
holding an article in the form of a bottle.
[0029] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a single paper sheet cut so as to
construct the package according to FIG. 1.
[0030] FIG. 4 is a front view of the package of FIG. 1.
[0031] FIG. 5 is a side view of the package and bottle of FIG.
2.
[0032] FIG. 6 is a back view of the package of FIG. 1.
[0033] FIG. 7 is a side view of another standable package according
to the invention holding the bottle of FIG. 2.
[0034] FIG. 8 is a side view of the package of FIG. 7 in a standing
position holding the bottle of FIG. 7.
[0035] FIG. 9 is a plan view of a single paper sheet cut so as to
construct another standable package according to the invention.
[0036] FIG. 10 is a plan view of an insert formed from a single
sheet of plastic material suitable for use with the standable
package constructed from the paper sheet of FIG. 9.
[0037] FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of the assembled
standing package formed from the paper sheet of FIG. 9 and the
plastic sheet of FIG. 10, and holding the bottle of FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0038] The present invention relates to a standable package for
holding an article. The package is formed from a unitary sheet of
folded paperboard material and comprises, when assembled, a front
portion having an opening therein for displaying a front portion of
the article and at least one first restraining means for preventing
the article from falling outward from the package, a back portion
connected to the front portion at least along a portion of its
sides, said back portion having an opening therein for displaying a
back portion of the article and at least one second restraining
means for preventing the article from falling outward from the
package, a base connected to the front portion for supporting the
article, and a support member connected to the base and the back
portion. At least one first restraining means is an outwardly
folding collar extending from the front portion or at least one
second restraining means is an outwardly folding collar extending
from the back portion. The article is inserted between the front
portion and the back portion of the package when the sheet is
folded along horizontal fold lines separating the front portion
from the base, the base from the support member, and the support
member from the back portion. The base, the support member and a
lower portion of the front portion form a support base for the
package that enables it to stand in an upright position The support
base being open at its sides to enable opening of the package from
the open sides of the support base.
[0039] In one embodiment, both the first and second restraining
means comprise such outwardly folding collars. In another
embodiment, the first restraining means comprises such an outwardly
folding collar and the second restraining means comprises a lip
extending from the bottom of the opening in the support member to
the base for further restraining the article in the package. In yet
another embodiment, the second restraining means comprises such an
outwardly folding collar and the first restraining means comprises
a lip extending from the bottom of the opening in the front portion
to the base for further restraining the article in the package, or
an upper portion of the front portion of the package that restrains
the article, such as when the front portion of the package extends
below the top of the article.
[0040] FIG. 1 shows a standing package 10 for distributing and
displaying an article in accordance with the invention. The
standable package is formed of a unitary or single sheet of
paperboard material, such as sheet 12, which should be sufficiently
thick so as to securely hold and protect the article, such as
bottle 14 shown in FIG. 2. The package 10 has a front portion 16
with an opening therein, such as opening 18, for displaying a front
portion of the article. The front portion 16 has an outwardly
folding collar 19 extending from the front portion for preventing
the article from falling outward from the package. In the
embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-2, the front portion comprises a lip 17
extending from the bottom of the opening in the front portion to
the base of the package for further restraining the article in the
package. The size and shape of such a lip can be varied to
accommodate the particular package and article to be held by the
package.
[0041] The package 10 also has a base 20 connected to the front
portion for supporting the standing package, and a support member
26 connected at one end to the back portion 28 (shown in FIG. 3) of
the package and at the other end to a foot portion 22 that is
connected to base 20. Support member 26 and base 20 should be
sufficiently large and rigid to support the package and the article
in an upright position. Base 20 may be connected directly to
support member 26. However, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, base
20 is connected to support member 26 via foot portion 22, which is
typically secured to base 20 with an adhesive, such as H. B. Fuller
S-3879-U-001 glue, to further reinforce the base and support
member.
[0042] The back portion 28 of package 10 is connected to the front
portion 16 at least along a portion of its sides, and has an
opening therein, such as opening 29 shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, for
displaying a back portion of the article. The back portion 28 also
has an outwardly folding collar 30 extending from the back portion
for preventing the article from falling outward from the package.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the opening 29 in the back
portion extends into the support member 26 and the support member
comprises a lip 27 extending from the bottom of the opening in the
support member to the base for further restraining the article in
the package, as shown in FIG. 5. The size and shape of such a lip
can be varied to accommodate the particular package and article to
be held by the package.
[0043] As shown in FIG. 3, sheet 12 also has cut out sections 34
and 36 in the front and back portions for hanging the package on a
display panel in a store or other retail outlet. In other
embodiments, the front portion has two or more outwardly folding
collars extending from the front portion for preventing the article
from falling outward from the package, and/or the back portion has
two or more outwardly folding collars extending from the back
portion for preventing the article from falling outward from the
package.
[0044] As shown in FIG. 3, paperboard sheet 12 is cut out in the
shape illustrated and includes horizontal fold lines or creases,
such as perforation lines A-D, to permit ease of folding of the
sheet into the desired package. The outwardly folding collars 19
and 30 are connected to front portion 16 and back portion 28,
respectively, through horizontal fold lines, such as perforation
lines. To more conveniently indicate the manner in which package 10
is assembled from sheet 12, sections of sheet 12 are marked in the
drawings with numbers 16, 20, 22, 26 and 28. These sections are
contiguous with respective perforation lines A, B, C and D formed
between adjacent sections.
[0045] Viewing FIG. 3, sheet 12 is folded as follows. Front portion
16 is folded upward along line A, and base 20 is folded upward
along line B and under foot portion 22. Adhesive 24 is placed on
foot portion 22 to secure the foot portion to a portion of base 20.
Support member 26 is folded upward and forward along line C and
then along line D to bring back portion 28 into proximity with
front portion 16, forming a pocket for the article. Sufficient
space is left between the front portion 16 and back portion 28 to
form the pocket into which the article is inserted. The article is
inserted between the front portion and the back portion of the
package when the sheet is folded along fold lines A-D separating
the front portion from the base, the base from the support member,
and the support member from the back portion. The inserted article
also pushes the outwardly folding collars 19 and 30 away from front
portion 16 and back portion 28, respectively, along the horizontal
fold lines connecting the collars to the front and back portions,
such that the collars are substantially perpendicular to the planes
of the front and back portions, as shown in FIG. 5. The back
portion is then connected to the front portion at least along a
portion of its sides for securely enclosing the article between the
front portion and the back portion. In one embodiment, the front
portion is connected to the back portion by glue or a heat sealed
coating applied near the longitudinal sides of the front portion
and/or back portion of the paperboard sheet. The heat sealing of
the front portion to the back portion can be accomplished by
various methods known in the art. In one embodiment, the package is
at least partially open at its top when assembled in a standing
position.
[0046] The article may be inserted into the top of the pocket
formed between the front portion and the back portion of the
package with the back of the article facing the back portion of the
package. If desired, additional openings or holes may be positioned
on the front and/or back portion of the package in a pattern that
corresponds to the particular article to be inserted in the pocket
such that, when the article is fully inserted in the pocket, a
respective portion of the article projects outwardly from each
opening or hole. In this manner, the article can be firmly and
protectively retained in the pocket. Those of ordinary skill in the
art will recognize that various patterns, sizing, and number of
openings can be used for particular articles. Thus, the invention
is not intended to be limited to the illustrated patterns, sizes,
and openings shown; the actual pattern, size, and number of
openings will vary to accommodate the particular article to be held
by the inventive package.
[0047] FIG. 5 is a side view of the package of FIG. 1 assembled
with the bottle of FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 5, the base 20, the
support member 26 and a lower portion of the front portion 16
(typically below the mid-point of the opening for the article) form
a support base for the package that enables it to stand in an
upright position. The support base is open at its sides, such as at
opening 32, to enable opening of the package from the open sides of
the support base. Opening 32 has a triangular cross-section, but
the opening may have a square, rectangular, or other cross
section.
[0048] FIG. 6 is a back view of the package of FIG. 1, showing the
fold line D between the back portion 28 and the support member
26.
[0049] FIG. 7 is a side view of another standable package according
to the invention holding the bottle of FIG. 2. In this embodiment,
package 40 is formed from a unitary sheet of folded paperboard
material. Package 40 has a front portion 42, with an opening
therein (not shown) for displaying a front portion of the article.
A lower portion of front portion 42 (below the mid-point of the
front portion) is designated as portion 44 in FIG. 7. The front
portion 42 has an outwardly folding collar 43 extending from the
front portion for preventing the article from falling outward from
the package. Package 40 also has a base connected to the front
portion, said base comprising portions 46 and 48 for supporting the
standing package, and a support member 50 connected at one end to
the base (portion 48 thereof) and at the other end to the back
portion 52 of the package. The base portions 46 and 48, the support
member 50, and portion 44 of front portion 42 form a support base
for the package that enables it to stand in an upright position.
The support base is open at its sides, such as at opening 54, to
enable opening of the package from the open sides of the support
base. Opening 54 has a triangular cross-section when base portions
46 and 48 are co-planar, but the opening may have a square,
rectangular, or other cross section. Support member 50 and base
portions 46 and 48 should be sufficiently large and rigid to
support the package and the article in an upright position. The
back portion 52 is connected to the front portion 42 at least along
a portion of its sides, and has an opening therein (not shown) for
displaying a back portion of the article. The back portion 52 also
has an outwardly folding collar 53 extending from the back portion
for preventing the article from falling outward from the
package.
[0050] The paperboard sheet from which package 40 is formed has
horizontal fold lines or creases, such as perforated fold lines
F-J, to permit ease of folding of the sheet into the desired
package. The outwardly folding collars 43 and 53 are connected to
front portion 42 and back portion 52, respectively, through
horizontal fold lines, such as perforation lines. The portions of
the sheet are contiguous with respective perforation lines F-J
formed between adjacent sections. Package 40 is formed by folding
front portion 42 upward to bring it into proximity with back
portion 52, forming a pocket into which the article is inserted.
The article is inserted between the front portion and the back
portion when the sheet is folded along the fold lines separating
the front portion from the base, the base from the support member,
and the support member from the back portion. The inserted article
pushes the outwardly folding collars 43 and 53 away from the front
portion and back portion, respectively, along the horizontal fold
lines connecting the collars to the front and back portions, such
that the collars are substantially perpendicular to the planes of
the front and back portions, as shown in FIG. 7. The back portion
is then connected, using glue or a heat sealed coating, to the
front portion at least along a portion of its sides for securely
enclosing the article between the front portion and the back
portion.
[0051] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the base comprising
portions 46 and 48 has a fold line H separating portions 46 and 48
such that when the base is pulled downward along this fold line,
the package collapses into a substantially flattened position for
ease of shipment. When force is exerted upward along the fold line
H, the package is standable in an upright position, as shown in
FIG. 8. Moreover, the weight of the article and its contents will
tend to expand the opening 54 shown in FIG. 7 to a more open
position such as shown in FIG. 8, increasing stability of the
standing package.
[0052] FIG. 9 is a plan view of a single paper sheet cut so as to
construct another package according to the invention. The package
is similar to the package shown in FIGS. 1-6 except that the front
and back portions of the package do not have outwardly folding
collars for preventing the article from falling outward from the
package. Instead, the package comprises an insert formed from a
unitary sheet of folded paperboard or plastic material and
comprising at least one outwardly folding collar for preventing the
article from falling outward from the front portion of the package,
and at least one outwardly folding collar for preventing the
article from falling outward from the back portion of the package.
FIG. 10 shows such as insert 90 formed from a unitary sheet of
folded plastic material (e.g., PVC, PET or PET-G) and comprising
outwardly folding collar 92 for preventing the article from falling
outward from the front portion of the package, and outwardly
folding collar 94 for preventing the article from falling outward
from the back portion of the package. Insert 90 also comprises
first side 96 and second side 97, each connected to the outwardly
folding collars 92 and 94, and forming an enclosed structure having
opening 98 therein for receiving the top portion of the article
placed in the package. The outwardly folding collars 92 and 94 are
connected to first side 96 and second side 97, respectively,
through horizontal fold lines, such as perforation lines O, P, Q
and R.
[0053] In FIG. 9, paperboard sheet 62 is cut out in the shape
illustrated and includes horizontal fold lines or creases, such as
perforation lines K, L, M and N, to permit ease of folding of the
sheet into the desired package. Sections of the sheet marked with
numbers 66, 70, 72, 76 and 78 are contiguous with respective
perforation lines K, L, M and N.
[0054] Package 60 shown in FIG. 11 is formed from sheet 62. Package
60 has a front portion 66, with an opening 68 therein (see FIG. 9)
for the article, in this case bottle 14. Package 60 also has a base
70 connected to the front portion for supporting the standing
package, and a support member 76 connected at one end to the back
portion 78 of the package (see FIG. 9) and at the other end to a
foot portion 72 that is connected to base 70. Support member 76 and
base 70 should be sufficiently large and rigid to support the
package and the bottle in an upright position. Base 70 may be
connected directly to support member 76. However, in the embodiment
shown in FIG. 11, base 70 is connected to support member 76 via
foot portion 72, which is typically secured to base 70 with an
adhesive, such as H. B. Fuller S-3879-U-001 glue, to further
reinforce the base and support member. In the embodiment shown in
FIG. 9, sheet 62 also has cut out sections 84 and 86 in the front
and back portions for hanging the package on a display panel in a
store or retail outlet. Sheet 62 also has cut out sections 69 and
80 in front portion 66 and back portion 78, respectively, for
receiving the outwardly folding collars 92 and 94, respectively,
shown in FIG. 10.
[0055] Viewing FIG. 9, sheet 62 is folded as follows. Front portion
66 is folded upward along line K, and base 70 is folded upward
along line L and under foot portion 72. Adhesive is placed on foot
portion 72 to secure the foot portion to a portion of base 70.
Support member 76 is folded upward and forward along line M and
then along line N to bring back portion 78 into proximity with
front portion 66, forming a pocket for the bottle. Sufficient space
is left between the front portion 76 and back portion 78 to form
the pocket into which the bottle is inserted. Insert 90 is placed
over the top portion of the bottle 14. The bottle is then inserted
between the front portion and the back portion of the package when
the sheet is folded along fold lines K-N separating the front
portion from the base, the base from the support member, and the
support member from the back portion. The back portion is then
connected to the front portion at least along a portion of its
sides for securely enclosing the bottle between the front portion
and the back portion. In one embodiment, the front portion is
connected to the back portion by glue or a heat sealed coating
applied near the longitudinal sides of the front portion and/or
back portion of the paperboard sheet. The heat sealing of the front
portion to the back portion can be accomplished by various methods
known in the art. The base, the support member and a lower portion
of the front portion form a support base for the package that
enables it to stand in an upright position. The support base is
open at its sides, such as at opening 82, to enable opening of the
package from the open sides of the support base. Opening 82 has a
triangular cross-section, but the opening may have a square,
rectangular, or other cross section.
[0056] Information about the article in the package and/or the
manufacturer is typically printed on the package and may also be
inserted in the space behind the article.
[0057] While a multifunction package has been described which is
formed from a single sheet or blank of paper, the invention is not
intended to be limited to this construction and alternatively may
be formed from multiple sheets of paper or from other suitable
materials to form the desired combination package that can
advantageously be used for the distribution and display of
blister-packaged articles.
[0058] Various embodiments of this invention have been described.
However, this disclosure should not be deemed to be a limitation on
the scope of the invention. Accordingly, various modification,
adaptations, and alternatives may occur to one skilled in the art
without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed
invention.
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