U.S. patent application number 12/657443 was filed with the patent office on 2011-07-21 for self-contained squeeze card hanging package.
Invention is credited to Marc Mamiye.
Application Number | 20110174835 12/657443 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44276820 |
Filed Date | 2011-07-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110174835 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mamiye; Marc |
July 21, 2011 |
Self-contained squeeze card hanging package
Abstract
A tamper-resistant hanging package particularly attractive in
the squeezing of a confectionery, cosmetic or other flowable
product content out through a nozzle includes a tear-off corner
which, upon twisting, removes a connected cap from the nozzle of a
bladder in which the product content is stored in allowing the
product content to be sucked or spread through the nozzle; but with
the tear-off corner being thereafter separable from the cap to
allow the cap to be placed back onto the nozzle to close off and
retain any remaining product content in the bladder for future
use.
Inventors: |
Mamiye; Marc; (Old Bridge,
NJ) |
Family ID: |
44276820 |
Appl. No.: |
12/657443 |
Filed: |
January 21, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/105 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45D 40/0087 20130101;
A45D 34/00 20130101; A45D 2200/053 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
222/105 |
International
Class: |
B65D 35/56 20060101
B65D035/56 |
Claims
1. A package display unit comprising: a support card having an
inner heat-sealable plastic layer and an outer cardboard layer; a
squeezable bladder of product content to be dispensed through a
nozzle thereof; a heat-sealable plastic edge framing said bladder;
die cut areas through said inner and outer layers to receive said
bladder and said nozzle; a cap for said nozzle having opposing side
extensions sandwiched between said inner and outer layers of said
card at a corner thereof; a tear line between said corner and the
remainder of said card; and a fold line across said support card
for folding a bottom portion of said inner layer of said support
card over a top portion of said inner layer of said support card in
bringing said heat-sealable plastic edge framing said bladder in
abutting relationship with said inner heat-sealable plastic
layer.
2. The package display unit of claim 1 wherein said fold line
divides said support card in half,
3. The package display unit of claim 1 wherein said inner
heat-sealable plastic layer and said heat-sealable plastic edge
framing said bladder are fabricated of polyethylene.
4. The package display unit of claim 1 wherein said squeezable
bladder is fabricated of low density polyethylene.
5. The package display unit of claim 1 wherein said cap is
fabricated of polypropylene.
6. The package display unit of claim 1 wherein said fold line
divides said support card in half, wherein said inner heat-sealable
plastic layer and said heat-sealable plastic edge are fabricated of
polyethylene, wherein said squeezable bladder is fabricated of low
density polyethylene, and wherein said cap is fabricated of
polypropylene.
7. The package display unit of claim 1, also including tearable
perforations between said opposing side extensions of said cap and
said inner and outer layers of said support card.
8. The package display unit of claim 1 wherein said bladder
includes a domed top and a flat base.
9. The package display unit of claim 1, including die cut areas
through said inner and outer layers of said support card to receive
a peg for hanging said display unit.
10. The package display unit of claim 1, including areas on said
cardboard layer to receive print information of the product content
within said bladder.
11. The package display unit of claim 6, also including tearable
perforations between said opposing side extensions of said cap and
said inner and outer layers of said support card, wherein said
bladder includes a domed top and a flat base, die cut areas through
said inner and outer layers of said support card to receive a peg
for hanging said display unit, and areas on said cardboard layer to
receive print information of the product content within said
bladder.
12. The package display unit of claim 2 wherein a top half of said
support card includes a die cut area for receiving the bladder and
nozzle and wherein a bottom half of said support card includes a
die cut area to overlie said nozzle when folded upwardly across
said support card.
13. The package display unit of claim 1 wherein said squeezable
bladder is fabricated of a transparent plastic.
14. The package display unit of claim 1 wherein said squeezable
bladder encloses a confectionery and wet or dry form cosmetic.
15. The package display unit of claim 1 wherein said squeezable
bladder contains a flowable product content.
16. A package display unit comprising: a squeezable bladder of
product content to be dispensed through a nozzle thereof; a
heat-sealable plastic edge framing said bladder; a support card
having an inner heat-sealable plastic layer and an outer cardboard
layer between which said heat-sealable plastic edge is sandwiched;
a cap for said nozzle having opposing side extensions sandwiched
between said inner and outer layers of said support card at a
corner thereof; a tear line between said corner and the remainder
of said support card; and a Euro hanging hole through said support
card.
17. The package display unit of claim 16, including tearable
perforations between said opposing side extensions and said support
card corner.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] NONE
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Research and development of this invention and Application
have not been federally sponsored, and no rights are given under
any Federal program.
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
[0003] NOT APPLICABLE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] 1. Field of the Invention
[0005] This invention relates to hanging package products for
displaying items for retail sale, in general, and to a
self-contained hanging package particularly attractive for the
display sale of confectionery, and wet or dry form cosmetics, in
particular.
[0006] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0007] Hanging package products for display sales generally consist
of carded packagings where such goods as toys, hardware, and
electrical items are contained between a specially made paperboard
card and a clear pre-formed plastic shells, typically of
polyvinylchloride. Allowing a consumer to easily examine the
product through the transparent plastic, the plastic shell is
typically vacuum-formed around a mold to contain the item snugly.
The card is usually brightly colored and designed depending on the
item inside, and the polyvinylchloride is affixed to the card using
heat and pressure to activate an adhesive to form a heat seal
coating on the card. Oftentimes, referred to as blister packs, the
adhesive employed is selected strong enough so that the pack may
hang on a peg, but weak enough so that the package can be easily
opened. Sometimes with large items, the card has a perforated
window for access to allow the item inside to be more easily
removed.
[0008] As will be readily appreciated, however, these hanging
package units, in construction, embody two separate products--the
item itself, and the package which surrounds it. Frequently, the
package is designed to be difficult to open by hand so as to deter
tampering. With this, as with the simpler version of allowing easy
access to the item inside, once the package is opened and the
plastic shell discarded, there is little that can be done to
recover the item for future use, resulting in the wasting of the
extra materials employed.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide a new
and unique hanging package product for display unit sales which
overcomes this disadvantage of the prior art.
[0010] It is an object of the present invention, also, to provide
such a hanging package product in which the item inside and the
clear plastic shell are formed together as a self-contained
construction.
[0011] It is another object of the invention to provide a hanging
package product of this nature which is particularly attractive for
the display sales of confectionery, and wet or dry form
cosmetics.
[0012] It is a further object of the invention to provide this
confectionery and cosmetic hanging package product which is both
tamper resistant in opening, but able to be closed off to save any
remaining product after a partial draining of its contents.
[0013] It is yet another object of the invention to provide this
hanging package product for display unit sales in which the product
content can be released by a simple squeezing of the plastic shell
itself.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] As will become clear from the following description, the
tamper resistant self-contained hanging package of the invention is
formed of three unique components--a bladder, a cap, and a sealing
card. The bladder component will be seen to be fabricated of a
squeezable plastic, preferably flat on one side, and fillable with
any type of confectionery, and wet or dry form cosmetic. The cap
component will be seen to be provided with "ears"--which, when the
package is ready to be opened, are turned to both open the cap and
separate it from a nozzle of the bladder. The sealing card
component will be seen to be die cut, with an outer layer of
cardboard and an inner layer of plastic for not only supporting the
finished product, but to be foldable to allow the bladder and all
interior areas of the card to be heat sealed together. Designed
with a "tear-corner", the only way to access and dispense the
product contents will be seen to be a ripping of this corner which,
at the same time, opens the cap and removes it from the bladder
nozzle. Fabricating the ripped "tear-corner" to be easily removable
from the cap, furthermore, allows the cap itself to be thereafter
attached to the nozzle in closing off the bladder to save any
remaining content for later use.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] These and other features of the invention will be more
clearly understood from a consideration of the following
description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0016] FIGS. 1a-1e are perspective and/or sectional views of the
bladder component of the self-contained hanging package in a
preferred embodiment of the invention;
[0017] FIGS. 2a-2f are perspective, sectional and other views of
the cap component of the preferred hanging package invention;
[0018] FIGS. 3a-3b are outer and inner views of the sealing card
component of the invention;
[0019] FIGS. 4a-4d are views helpful in understanding the forming
of the bladder, the cap, and the sealing card into the
self-contained hanging package of the invention; and
[0020] FIGS. 5a-5c and FIGS. 6a-6c are views helpful in
appreciating modifications that can be made in constructing
alternative embodiments of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] The bladder component 10 of the self-contained hanging
package is fabricated from a soft and squeezable material, enabling
a user to easily dispense and squeeze out its contents--such as
confectionery, and wet or dry cosmetic products. In the preferred
embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1a-1e, the bladder is fabricated of a
low density, squeezable polyethylene formed as a half unit--its top
12 being shown in the front perspective views of FIGS. 1a, 1b, and
1c, and in the sectional view of FIG. 1d, as "domed", and its
bottom 14 as shown in the bottom perspective view of FIG. 1e as a
flat base. A nozzle of the bladder is shown at 16, centered on the
bladder 12, with the nozzle 16 pointed upwardly in FIG. 1a and
downwardly in FIG. 1c. In particular, the top half 18 of the nozzle
16 is located at the top of the bladder 12 (as shown in the
sectional cut view of FIG. 1d), with the bottom half 20 of the
nozzle 16 being located at the flat base of the bladder in that
sectional cut view. As shown in the bottom perspective view of FIG.
1e with the nozzle 16 pointing downwardly, the nozzle area 22 is
convex so as to allow the opening of the nozzle to remain in full
circle. The nozzle 16 is threaded at 24 so as to screw with the cap
component illustrated in the views of FIG. 2. A pair of stoppers
26, 27 are shown on the nozzle 16 in FIG. 1e to match up with the
sealing card, to be described in the views of FIG. 3. Reference
numeral 28 illustrates an opening in the nozzle 16 for the filling
of the wet or dry product content. Reference numeral 30 identifies
a thin edge of the bladder 10 to allow the bladder to easily seal
to the sealing card of the FIG. 3 views by sandwiching between its
layers.
[0022] As an appreciation of the views of FIGS. 2 and 3 will
illustrate, the stoppers 26 and 27 are in the shoulder of the
nozzle 16, and essentially comprise two small points which stop the
cap from unlimited rotation when the cap is screwed onto the
nozzle; this allows the cap ears to be described below to be
parallel with the sealing card. At the same time, the thin edge 30
which frames the bladder 10 will be seen to seal the bladder to an
inner wall of the sealing card. As will be described with respect
to the views of FIG. 3, once the bladder 10 is filled, and the cap
of the views of FIG. 2 is affixed, the bladder 10 is dropped into
the open "sealed card", facing the inner layer. The card is then
folded closed and the card and bladder are heat sealed
together.
[0023] The cap component 35 of the hanging package is illustrated
in the various views of FIG. 2. Specifically, FIG. 2a is a front
view of the cap, FIG. 2b is a perspective view of the cap with its
bottom 37 facing downwardly, FIG. 2c is a perspective view of the
cap showing its top surface 39, FIG. 2d is a bottom view of the
cap, FIG. 2e is a perspective view of the cap with its bottom
facing upwardly, and FIG. 2f is a sectional view of the cap showing
its internal structure. As previously mentioned, the cap 35 screws
onto the nozzle 16 of the bladder at 24 by way of threads 41 within
the cap bottom 37. Preferably, the cap is fabricated of
polypropylene.
[0024] Reference numerals 43 and 45 identify extensions on opposite
sides of the cap allowing the cap 35 to be fixed into a corner 85
of the sealing card illustrated in the views of FIG. 3. These
extensions (or "ears"), more specifically, are sealed into a top
corner of the card, sandwiched between its inner and outer layers.
Being so hidden within the card once sealed into it, the ears 43,
45 cannot be seen from the front or back of the card--but when the
package is ready to be opened by the user ripping the top corner 85
from the card, the ears that are extended within are turned as
well, and will open the cap in separating it from the nozzle of the
bladder. The corner and cap that are together can then easily be
separated from one another by breaking the meeting points or
tearable perforations between them. Once the cap is separated, the
cap ears are exposed but the cap can be screwed back onto the
nozzle to close the remaining contents of the bladder for later
use.
[0025] In this respect, inside the cap 35 are a pair of stoppers
47, 48 on a track 49 with a raised edge located on both sides of
the cap (FIG. 2c). Such stoppers 47, 48 operate in conjunction with
the stoppers 26, 27 of the nozzle 16 (FIG. 1e) in allowing for the
ears 43, 45 to be parallel with the bladder 10 and the sealing card
of the FIG. 3 views. An inner plug 51 on the cap 35 (FIG. 2f) seals
the opening of the nozzle 16 as the cap 35 is screwed onto the
nozzle. In effectuating this, the plug 51 is slightly tapered so as
to be forced into the nozzle 16 in sealing off the nozzle.
[0026] The sealing card support component 75 of the hanging package
of the invention is composed of an outer cardboard layer 60 (FIG.
3a) and an inner polyethylene layer 62 (FIG. 3b). The outer
cardboard side is printed at 64 with related information and
advertising and serves as a support for the hanging package. The
inner layer 62, on the other hand, is to be heat sealed both to the
bladder 10, and to itself once folded over. Those areas identified
by the reference numeral 66 together form a Euro hole for hanging
the card once the card is folded over upwardly, and preferably in
half, along a fold line 68 and sealed. The areas identified by the
reference numerals 70, 72 are die cut to receive the front and back
of the bladder nozzle 16, respectively, when the bladder is dropped
into the card. Those areas shown by the reference numerals 74, 76
are die cut to receive the front and back of the bladder 10,
respectively. With the card of FIGS. 3a and 3b folded over in half,
with the framing edge 30 then abutting the inner layer 62, and with
all of the meeting materials being of a form of polyethylene (with
the exception of the cap) so as to be heat sealable together, the
bladder 10 and all interior areas of the card can be sealed.
[0027] Reference numeral 78 in FIG. 3b identifies an embossed edge
for the dropped-in placement of the bladder 10, while that area
identified by the reference numeral 80 represents a debossed area
in FIG. 3a. The embossed area 78 aligns the bladder's edge 30 of
FIGS. 1a, 1b or 1c, as well as the cap ears 43, 45 of the card.
Such areas 78, 80 allow the card to be better sealed, as the
thickness from the bladder's edge 30 and the cap ears 43, 45 are
absorbed by the embossing of the card. With a finish of the card
being flat and even all around, and with all edges of the card
being sealed, it will be appreciated that the only way to access
the product is by tearing away the top corner 85 of the card. A
tear line 87 is shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b, along with tearable
perforations 89 which attach to the cap ears 43, 45. In particular,
the perforated area 85 once given a rotational twist tears away
from the card layers 60, 62; and, at the same time opens the cap
ears 43 and 45 to separate the cap 35 from the bladder 10. Such
tamper-resistant feature of the hanging package is supplemented
through a further easy removal of the cap from the card so that the
cap can then be fixed to the bladder without the torn corner, for
later use. This follows from the cap being then tearable away from
the perforations 89. Moreover, the cap is additionally fabricated
from polypropylene, so as not to be sealed with the inner
polyethylene layer of the card 62. In this respect, fabricating the
layer 62 of a polyethylene allows that lamination of the card to be
sealed to the thin edge 30 of the bladder, while leaving the outer
layer 60 of the card as a standable, printable paper-type or
cardboard-type board of any desired specific weight.
[0028] FIGS. 4a-4d are helpful in appreciating how the
self-contained card hanging package of the invention may be formed.
In particular, FIG. 4a is an exploded view of all components of the
package, FIG. 4b is a partially assembled view of the bladder, cap
and sealing card components, FIG. 4c is a front view of all the
parts assembled, and FIG. 4d is a back view of all the assembled
parts. The bladder 10 with its bottom 14 and its nozzle 16 is
illustrated in FIG. 4a, as is the cap 35 with its ears 43, 45. So
too, is the embossed edge 78 on the inside card polyethylene layer
62 with the tear line 87 and its tear point perforations 89. FIG.
4b shows the bladder 10 dropped into the polyethylene inner layer
62, with the outer layer 60 being folded over the bladder to the
inner layer 62 by rotating the bottom portion of the card upwardly.
(Once this is done, the card is then heat-sealed all around in
locking the bladder into the card.) With FIG. 4c showing a front
view of the heat sealed card when closed in full assembly, the tear
corner 85 is at the upper right (or at the upper left in the back
view of the assembled parts as viewed in FIG. 4d.) When so folded
over and assembled, the soft and squeezable "dome" 12 of the
bladder 10 is displayed on the package front, the remaining space
90 being utilizable for additional printing and advertising. The
back of the sealed card viewed in FIG. 4d shows the bladder nozzle
16 being exposed, along with the area 64 on which the printing and
product advertising is illustrated. A self-contained squeeze card
hanging package thus results.
[0029] When so assembled, the perforated area all the way through
the top corner of the card, when twisted or torn in a
counterclockwise position, tears open the card in allowing the cap
35 to be removed. The torn off cardboard corner and cap can be
easily separated, and the cap replaced upon the bladder's nozzle 16
so that the remaining product can be accessed at another time. This
follows, since the ears 43, 45 allow the cap 35 to turn while the
corner is being torn from the card--but since the cap 35 is made of
polypropylene rather than polyethylene (i.e., another material),
the cap 35 will not seal to the card. Once the cap 35 is removed
from the nozzle 16, the contents of the bladder--whatever it may
be--can be squeezed and sucked out (or just squeezed out) the
nozzle opening simply by pressing down on the low density
polyethylene bladder. Once the bladder is emptied, the bladder can
simply be discarded.
[0030] Whereas there has been described what is considered to be a
preferred embodiment of the invention, it will readily be
appreciated that modifications can be made by those skilled in the
art without departing from its teachings. For example, while the
preferred embodiment has been described with a single product
containing bladder, double chambered bladders with nozzles
90.degree. apart can be located at both the left and right corners
of the card, as well. Likewise, the bladder design can be of amy
geometric or freeform shape--all as shown in, for example, the
single chamber splodge of FIG. 5a, the single chamber star of FIG.
5b, and the double chamber freeform of FIG. 5c, each with its own
tear-away corner and capped ears sandwiched between the inner
polyethylene layer and the outer cardboard layer of the sealing
card. In similar manner, the cap component can be changed over to a
sprayer-type component to provide a spray version of the
invention--as shown in the front view, back view, and assembly view
of FIGS. 6a, 6b and 6c where reference numeral 200 identifies the
Euro hole for hanging, reference numeral 201 represents the cap
with its ears centered between the two panels of the card, with the
tear points to open the card and free up the cap being shown at
202, with a sprayer down tube shown at 203, with the bladder sealed
to the inside of the card shown at 204, with the tear away portion
of the card shown at 205, with the back-side cardboard for printing
and advertising shown at 206, with the top portion of the card
being torn away and discarded at 207, with the cap being removed
from the top portion of the card and replaceable onto the sprayer
as at 208, with the spray nozzle at 209, and with a screw-on
closure attached to the spray end assembly as at 210. In each
arrangement of the views of FIGS. 5 and 6, the squeezable bladder
can be filled with any type of product--whether it be
confectionery, or cosmetic of wet or dry form.
[0031] And, as yet another feature and modification of the
invention, instead of having the bladder component 10 essentially
of a clear composition to allow a consumer to easily view its
contents, the bladder portion can be printed or decorated with
whatever images may be desired in resembling characters, scenes or
topological features for example--and with or without the bladder
having a flat base bottom. As will be understood, however, by
having a flat base bottom instead of one which is convex, the ease
of printing the back of the sealing card with backgrounds,
advertising, and information becomes not only simpler, but allows
for greater informational content.
[0032] For at least the foregoing reasons (and for the further
reason that the squeezable bladder can contain a wide type of
flowable product contents other than confections, or cosmetics),
resort should be had to the claims appended hereto for a true
understanding of the scope of the invention.
* * * * *