Display Package And Label

Abstract

A package for displaying small articles comprising a display board having an open faced pocket with a width approximately equal to the width of the article to be displayed. A label strip retains the article in the pocket by having a central label portion firmly adhered to the article and end portions firmly secured to the display board and designed so that the label strip may be severed on either side of the central label portion, permitting removal of the article from the board and maintaining the central portion of the label strip as a permanent label for the article. Where the article is a container having a closure, the label strip may include a tab or other portion which bridges the joint between the body of the container and the closure to provide a tamper-proof seal for the closure.

Parent Case Text

The present application is a continuation-in-part of the co-pending application for Display Package, Ser. No. 799,037, now U. S. Pat. No. 3,540,583 of Nov. 17, 1970.

Description

The present invention relates to display packages and has particular application to a display package in which the package is assembled concurrently with the labeling operation for the articles of the package. In particular, the present invention provides a package in which the label of the article serves as an integral part of the package, to retain the article in the open-faced pocket of a display board.

As set forth in my earlier patent it is desirable to provide a display package which commands attention both when displayed on open shelves and when the customer is passing through the checkout counter of a self-service market. For low-cost articles, the display packages presently available comprise a significant factor in the cost of merchandising the article, not only because of the cost of the materials employed in the package, but also because of the additional manufacturing steps required to package the article.

Prior display packages comprise folded paper board structures which are designed to envelop the article, or plastic support structures into which the articles are placed, along with a transparent wrapper which is positioned over the support and article to maintain the latter in position. The wrapper may be a conventional cellophane envelope, or a shrinkable film which conforms neatly to the exposed surface of the combined article and base structure. In all of the prior packages of these types, the packaging entails the processing of the article through an additional packaging apparatus which either folds the cardboard or paper board structure around the article or provides a transparent wrapper around the article and support structure, or does both of these operations in sequence.

The present invention provides for a display package which may be formed by simply modifying a procedure to which the article normally is subjected during the normal operations on the article.

In particular, the present invention provides for the use of the labeling operation to complete the assembly of a display package so that the product is ready for distribution as it is discharged from the labeling machine.

The present invention also provides a package which protects against unauthorized tampering with the article and unauthorized removal of the contents from the package container in a simple and highly economical fashion.

All of the objects of the invention are more fully set forth hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a package embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the assembly of the display board to the article to form the package;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another package embodying the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view of the article following its removal from the package of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a further package embodying the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on line 8--8 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is an exploded view illustrating selected elements of the package of FIG. 7 to more clearly illustrate certain structural features thereof.

Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to the package illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the package comprises a display board 12, an article 13, in the present instance a plastic bottle B having a cap C engaged thereon, and a label 17. As set forth in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,583, the display board 12 is of substantial thickness and has a cutout pocket 14 conforming in outline to the outline of the article 13 and having a width slightly smaller than the width of the article so that the edge portions 15 of the cutout pocket 14 frictionally engage the opposite sides of the article with a force fit.

In accordance with the present invention, the article 13 is retained within the pocket by means of the label strip 17 which has a central portion 18 which forms the label for the article when it is removed from the package and end tabs 19 at the opposite sides of the label portion 18. The label portion 18 has information indicia 20 thereon. In the present instance the strip 17 is a paper strip having the word "label" printed thereon. To insure retention of the article in the pocket of the display board, the label 18 is firmly and permanently adhered to the article 13 and the end tabs 19 are permanently secured to the face of the display board 12. In the present instance, the adhesion between the label strip 17 and the article 13 and the display board 12 respectively, is a surface-to-surface bond provided by a settable adhesive such as glue which is dried or cured after application of the label strip to the package to form a firm bond between the various elements of the package.

To remove the article from the package, the label strip is separated on either side of the central label portion 18 from the end tabs 19. The separation of the label strip along the sides of the label portion 18 may be facilitated by a weakened score line such as produced by perforations as shown at 21, or merely by the absence of adhesion of the strip to anything along the junction between the label 18 and the end tabs 19.

The package shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is particularly useful for articles containing products which require the presence of a label listing information such as the ingredients of the product, or instructions or warnings for the proper use of the product. Prior to the present invention, such labels were normally applied to the articles as the final step in the assembly. In the case of containers, where the containers are filled with the product and are capped, the label is normally applied after the capping operation. The labeled containers were then transferred to a packaging operation. A package of this character contains a label on only one side of the bottle B. If desired the retailer may apply a second label strip to the back of the package and the label portion of the strip may contain the private brand of the retailer with or without additional information. In this way the retailer may obtain the benefits of a display package for his private-branded articles.

The package of FIGS. 1 and 2 is especially suitable for articles such as bottles having a base on which the articles are intended to stand as they are advanced through the filling and capping apparatus. With the package of the present invention, the display board may be assembled to the article container prior to the labeling operation, as shown in FIG. 3. In a capping machine, the bottle B is normally held upright by the conveyor for the application of the cap C thereto. After the cap is applied and while the article 13 is held upright by the conveyor, the display board 12 is forced downwardly over the bottle so that the bottle enters the pocket 14 through the open end, the interior edges of the pocket effecting a resilient grip on the sides of the article as shown in FIG. 2 and described in my copending application, now U. S. Pat. No. 3,540,583. After the display board is assembled to the article, the label strip 17 is applied to span across the pocket and is secured to the article and the display board so as to retain the article in place against inadvertent displacement. Depending upon the character of the bottle, the contents, and the strip, the strip 17 is secured to the elements by an adhesive, or by other surface bonding as desired, in any conventional manner.

The perforations 21 may be produced in the strip 17 either prior to its assembly to the article or as a final step in the application process. Normally the impression of the indicia on the label is accomplished prior to application of the strip to the article when it may be simply printed on the flat strip of the label material, but it is conceivable that the indicia may be applied after the application of the label to the package.

The essential steps in the formation of the package comprise the steps of assembling a display board having an openfaced pocket with a width approximately the width of the article with the article so that the article is in said pocket, applying a label strip having a central label portion to said article and board and firmly securing the label strip to the board on either side of the article in the pocket and permanently adhering the central label portion of the strip to the article in the pocket. Since the strip is severable intermediate the central label portion and the end portions to afford removal of said article from said pocket, the permanent firm adhesion of said central label portion of the strip to the article provides a permanent label for said article after removal of the article from the board.

In the embodiment of the package shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the package comprises a display board 32, an article 33 and a pair of opposed label strips 34,34. In this embodiment of the invention, the display board 32 has an open-face pocket 35 therein which conforms closely to the outline of the article 33 therein to provide a sliding fit. An aperture is provided 36 for hanging the display card on a hook in the display rack for the merchandise. As shown in FIG. 4, the pocket 35 completely surrounds the article 33 on four sides so as to position the article 33 spaced inwardly from the edges of the display card 32. Although this arrangement prevents the display card from being stood upright, using the article 33 as a base, it provides greater security against unauthorized opening of the article by reason of the presence of the display card around all four sides of the article.

The article 33 in this case is a container of lip salve having a cover 37 telescopically engaged over a base 38. The base 38 may be twisted to project the stick of lip salve from the tubular container and it is therefore desirable to prevent unauthorized twisting of the base 38 while the package is on the display rack.

To prevent tampering with the container 33, each label strip 34 comprises a central label portion 41 having end tabs 42 on either side thereof. The line of juncture between the tabs 42 and the label portion 41 is defined by notches 43 at the upper and lower peripheries of the label strip along a line coincident with the edge of the pocket 35. To prevent tampering with the container 33, an additional sealing tab 44 is provided on each label strip which is adhesively secured to the base 38 and which must be removed or severed to open the cover 37 and twist the base 38 to expose the lipstick contained therein. The label portion 41 has suitable indicia 45 thereon which may provide the necessary information identifying the lip salve and/or providing instructions for its proper use.

As in the previously described embodiment, the label strips 34 are firmly attached to the display board by the end tabs 42 and are firmly adhered to the container 33 by the label portion 41. This firm integration of the label strip to the article and the display board insures against separation of the article from the pocket 35.

The package of FIGS. 4 and 5 permits separation of the article 33 therefrom as shown in FIG. 6 by severing the label strip along lines intermediate the notches 43. When the security tabs 44 are separated from the label portion 41, the information label remains on the cover 37 for identifying the character of the lip salve in the container. The separation between the label portions 41 on the front and the back of the package, which has been exaggerated in FIG. 6 for the purpose of illustration, is occasioned by the thickness of the display board, and with a thin display board, the separation is negligible.

The package shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 may be assembled in a manner similar to the assembly described in connection with FIG. 3. The assembly of the lip salve article 33 is normally completed prior to the labeling operation, and the packaging operation of the present invention may be combined with the conventional labeling operation. To this end, the display board 32 is positioned over the article 33 as it lies on the conveyor. The labeling strip 34 is then applied to one side of the display board and the article therein and the combined article and display board are then turned over and the opposite labeling strip is applied to the opposite side in registry with the first strip. If an open-ended pocket were used in lieu of the closed-end pocket 35, the lipstick tubes may be conveyed upright and the label strips 34 applied concurrently to opposite sides of the display board and article. Following application of the label strips 34, the security tabs 44 are wiped over the under side of the article 33.

A further embodiment of the package is illustrated in FIG. 7 and 8. In this embodiment, the package comprises a display board 52, an article 53, and two label strips 54. In the present instance, the display board 52 has an open-ended pocket slightly wider in width than the article 53 open-ended pocket 55. Additionally the board has a hanging aperture at 56. In the present instance, the article 53 is a tubular container having a top 57 and a bottom 58 which meet along a line of separation at 59 centrally between the top and the bottom. The label strips 54,54 are positioned to bridge the line of separation 59 between the top 57 and the bottom 58 of the article. In this instance, the pocket 55 in the display board 52 is somewhat wider than the width of the article 53 and, as shown in FIG. 8, the label strips 54,54 on the opposite sides of the board are offset into the clearance space between the article 53 and the edge of the pocket and are adhered to one another to provide a reinforcement for the label strip to reduce the tendency to tear as a result of flexing of the label strip resulting from the clearance provided by the "sloppy" fit of the article 53 in the pocket 55.

In the present instance, the label strip comprises a central portion 61 and end tabs 62. Instead of circumscribing the entire exposed side of the article in the pocket, the label portion 61 is of reduced lateral extent and has lines of perforations transverse thereto at 63,63 to define the foreshortened label portion 61 therebetween. As indicated in FIG. 9, the separation of the label tabs 62 from the article on either side of the label portion 61 is facilitated by a different character of adhesion on the under surface of the tab 62 adjacent the label portion 61. Thus, an adhesive providing a firm bond is provided behind the label 61 and at the ultimate ends of the end tabs 62 as indicated at 64. The portions between the label 61 and the ultimate portions 64 are provided with an adhesive providing a light tack. Thus, the high tack adhesive on the label portion 61 provides a firm substantially permanent surface-to-surface bond between the permanent label and the article. As shown in FIG. 7 and 9, the permanent label has information indicia thereon above and below the score line 66 as indicated at 67 and 68. To facilitate opening of the container 53 along the line of separation 59, a longitudinal line of perforations is provided in the label portion as shown at 66. In certain instances, it may be desirable to avoid any tack or adhesion on the portions of the strip between the label portion 61 and the ultimate end portions 64, in which case the adhesive is omitted entirely therefrom. However, in the usual case, it is preferred to provide a degree of tack to insure a neat packaging operation.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that the package may be designed with either a force fit, a sliding fit or a sloppy fit between the edges of the pocket and the article to be displayed. The type of fit which is desired is determined not only by the capability of the apparatus used for positioning the article within the pocket, but also is determined by the character of the article itself. For articles which have a degree of resilience, the force fit may be desired whereas for heavy rigid articles, a neat sliding fit is desired in order to reduce the stress on the label tape required to hold the article in the pocket. Likewise the means for providing for severing of the label tape between the label portion and the end tabs is selected according to the character of the material used in the label strip and in accordance with the requirement of the manufacturer of the article with regard to the label characteristics.

While it is preferred to employ an open-ended pocket in the display card in order to utilize the article in the pocket as a support for standing the board upright, for certain articles it is appropriate to utilize a pocket which is closed at both ends.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been herein illustrated and described, it is not intended to limit the invention to such disclosure but changes and modifications may be made therein and thereto within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. In a package including a container article with a body portion of predetermined width and a closure removably mounted on said body portion, and a display board of stiff material having a cutout providing interior side edges defining an open-faced pocket with a width proximately the same as said predetermined width for receiving said article, and retaining means engaging said article and said display board and retaining the article against displacement from said pocket, the improvement wherein said pocket has a width and contour so that the interior side edges conform to and engage the opposite sides of the article along lines of engagement to prevent lateral displacement relative to said edge portions, and said retaining means comprises at least one label strip spanning across the width of said pocket, said label strip having a central label portion no greater in width than said predetermined width and end tabs on either side of said central label portion, said strip being severable by tearing along severing lines between said end tabs and central label portion, said central label portion being surface-bonded to the body portion of said article within said pocket, and said end tabs on both sides of said label portion of label strip being firmly secured to the surface of the display board adjoining the interior side edges on either side of said pocket, said severing lines adjoining said lines of engagement to enable severing of said label strip intermediate the label portion and each end tab so that the article may be removed from said pocket only by severing said strip to retain said label portion surface-bonded to said article to constitute an information-bearing label for said article during its use, said label strip including a closure portion spanning across said body portion and said closure and secured thereto to provide a tamper-proof seal for said closure.

2. A package according to claim 1 wherein said severing lines comprise lines of perforations transverse to said label strip on either side of said central label portion.

3. A package according to claim 1 wherein said severing lines include notches in said label strip at the periphery thereof along the side edges of the pocket.

4. A package according to claim 1 wherein said closure and body portion are joined at a separation line, and wherein further said closure portion is perforated in registry with said separation line.

5. A package according to claim 1 wherein said display board is thin paper board construction and including a label strip on each side of said paper board, said label strips being mounted opposite to and in registry with each other.

6. A package according to claim 1 wherein said surface-bonding of the label strip to said article and the firm securement of said end tabs to said display board are provided by a high-tack adhesive.

7. A package according to claim 6 wherein said high-tack adhesive is coextensive with said central label portion and is confined to the ultimate end portions of said end tabs, the end tabs adjacent said label portion being without said high-tack adhesive.

8. A package according to claim 1 wherein said label strip is a thin flat planar element having indicia information thereon in the label portion thereof.

9. A package according to claim 8 wherein said label strip is paper having glue on its underside, said indicia being imprinted upon said paper strip in the label portion thereof.

10. A method of tamper-proof packaging, labeling and removing an article of merchandise consisting of a container with a removable end closure comprising the steps of providing a display board of stiff material having a cutout providing interior side edges at least one end edge defining a pocket with a width and contour approximately equal to the width and contour of the opposite sides of the article, positioning the unlabeled article within said pocket with the side edges of said pocket engaging the opposite sides of the article along the lines of engagement to prevent lateral displacement of the article relative to said interior side edges, and with the end closure in engagement with said end edge, supplying a labeling strip having a central label portion, end tabs on either side of said label portion, and lines of separation permitting severing of said strip by tearing between said central label portion and said end tabs positioning said separation lines adjoining said lines of engagement and surface-bonding said central label portion to said article within said pocket and firmly securing said end tabs to the surface of said display board adjacent said interior side edges on either side of said pocket whereby said label strip serves to unite said package into a unitary assembly by reason of the attachment of said strip and display board on one hand and the firm bond of said strip and said article on the other hand, said unitary assembly preventing unauthorized removal of said end closure by retaining said end closure in engagement with said end edge, and removing said article from said package and permitting removal of said end closure by severing said label strip intermediate said label portion and said end tabs along said separation lines without separation of said label portion from the article.

11. A method according to claim 10 including the steps of applying opposed label strips to opposite surfaces of said display board in registry with one another whereby two said label strips function to maintain said article in said pocket against displacement out of the plane of said pocket as well as against lateral displacement within the plane of the pocket by reason of the firm adherence of said article to said two label strips.

12. A method according to claim 10 including the step of employing a high tack adhesive coextensive with the label portion of said label strip to provide a firm surface-to-surface bond between said label portion and said article.

13. A method according to claim 12 including the step of perforating said label strip along said separating lines to facilitate separation of said central label portion from said end tabs along said separation lines.

14. A method according to claim 10 wherein said label portion has information indicia thereon and is permanently bonded to said article by said step of firmly adhering said portion to said article.