U.S. patent number 3,881,601 [Application Number 05/399,528] was granted by the patent office on 1975-05-06 for rack display package for dry cells and the like.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Possis Corporation. Invention is credited to Peter S. Cartwright, Richard L. Walus.
United States Patent |
3,881,601 |
Walus , et al. |
May 6, 1975 |
Rack display package for dry cells and the like
Abstract
Dry cells are placed on a substrate blank with their boss-like
terminals lowermost and received in holes in the blank. A
transparent thermoplastic film, applied over dry cells and
substrate, is vacuum drawn into skin-like engagement with them. The
substrate is folded to have a base panel overlying the upper ends
of the cells, cover panels flatwise overlying the base panel, and
flatwise contiguous adhered tabs projecting up from the cover
panels and which have registering holes to receive a rack hook. One
cover panel can have windows registering with the terminal holes in
the base panel.
Inventors: |
Walus; Richard L. (Minneapolis,
MN), Cartwright; Peter S. (Minneapolis, MN) |
Assignee: |
Possis Corporation
(Minneapolis, MN)
|
Family
ID: |
23579865 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/399,528 |
Filed: |
September 21, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/497; 206/471;
206/705 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
75/305 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
75/28 (20060101); B65D 75/30 (20060101); B65d
065/12 (); B65d 065/16 (); B65d 073/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;206/497,471,461,462,489,45.33,431,432,194,DIG.806 ;229/DIG.12 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Price; William I.
Assistant Examiner: Shoap; Allan N.
Claims
The invention is defined by the following claims:
1. A package containing a group of identical cylindrical articles
of merchandise, each having an upper and a lower end, said articles
being visible in substantial part in said package and being
confined by the package in circumferentially adjacent relationship
with their upper ends coplanar, said package further
comprising:
A. a substantially rectangular substrate having inner and outer
surfaces, a pair of opposite side edges spaced apart by a distance
such that the substrate can extend entirely across the entire group
of articles at one end thereof, and opposite end edges, said
substrate having fold lines extending transversely to said side
edges and along which the substrate is folded to have
1. a base panel that overlies the articles at one end thereof and
which base panel lies between a pair of adjacent ones of said fold
lines, the outer surface of said base panel being adjacent to the
artlcies,
2. a pair of cover panels, each flatwise overlying a portion of the
surface of the base panel that is remote from the articles and
extending inwardly to the other from one of said pair of fold lines
to have an inner edge defined by another fold line, each of said
cover panels having its outer surface facing away from the
articles, and
3. a pair of flatwise contiguous tabs, each projecting away from
the articles from the inner edge of one of the cover panels and
defined from its cover panel by said other fold line, said tabs
being flatwise adhered to one another, having their outer surfaces
remote from one another, and having registering holes in which a
display rack hook is receivable; and
B. a skin-like transparent film snugly embracing the group of
articles and flatwise secured to substantial portions of the outer
surface of the substrate to thus hold the articles assembled with
one another and the substrate.
2. The package of claim 1 wherein each of said articles comprises a
cylindrical dry cell having at its upper end a concentric boss-like
terminal, further characterized by:
1. said base panel of the substrate having a plurality of terminal
holes, one for each dry cell, and having one of said terminals
received in each terminal hole; and
2. one of said cover panels extending a substantially greater
distance across the base panel than the other, and said one cover
panel having a plurality of window holes, one for each terminal
hole, each window hole being in register with its terminal hole to
allow the terminals to be seen.
3. The package of claim 2, further characterized by:
said film extending entirely across the outer surface of said one
cover panel, including the window holes therein, to cooperate with
the window holes in defining windows.
4. A package for rack display of a cylindrical article of
merchandise having upper and lower ends and by which the article is
confined in an axially vertical orientation, said package further
comprising:
A. a substrate component having inner and outer surfaces, a pair of
opposite side edges, opposite end edges, and four spaced apart,
parallel, transverse fold lines along which the substrate is folded
to have
1. a base panel that extends between two of said fold lines and
completely overlies the upper end of the article, with its outer
surface facing downward,
2. a pair of cover panels that flatwise overlie the base panel with
their outer surfaces facing upward, each of said cover panels
extending inwardly across the base panel from one of said two fold
lines and having an inner edge which is defined by one of the other
two fold lines and which is contiguous to the inner edge of the
other cover panel, and
3. a pair of flatwise contiguous tabs, each having its outer
surface remote from the other and each projecting upwardly from the
inner edge of a cover panel and connected therewith around one of
said other two fold lines, said tabs being flatwise adhered to one
another and having registering holes in which a rack hook is
receivable; and
B. a skin-like transparent film snugly embracing substantial
portions of the article including the bottom end thereof, and
flatwise overlying and secured to substantial portions of the outer
surface of the substrate component around the article.
5. A package suitable for point-of-sale rack display containing a
group of cylindrical dry cells in circumferentially adjacent
relationship, each of said dry cells being of the type having a
concentric boss-like terminal at an upper end thereof, said package
further comprising:
A. a substantially rectangular substrate having inner and outer
surfaces, a pair of opposite side edges spaced apart by a distance
such that the substrate can extend entirely across the group of dry
cells, and opposite end edges, said substrate also having fold
lines extending transversely to said side edges and defining
1. a base panel that overlies the tops of the dry cells and has
holes in which the terminals of the dry cells are received, the
inner surface of said base panel facing downward,
2. a windowed cover panel integrally connected to the base panel
around one of said fold lines and flatwise overlying a major
portion of the base panel, said windowed cover panel having its
outer surface uppermost and having holes that register with said
holes in the base panel,
3. a smaller cover panel integrally connected to the base panel
around another of said fold lines and flatwise overlying the
remainder of the base panel, the outer surface of said smaller
cover panel being uppermost, and
4. a pair of tabs, each integrally connected with one of the cover
panels around another fold line and each projecting upwardly from
its connected cover panel, said tabs being bonded together with
their inner surfaces opposing one another and having registering
holes in which a supporting hook can be received; and
B. a skin-like transparent film snugly enclosing the dry cells and
flatwise overlying outer surface portions of the substrate around
the dry cells to hold the dry cells assembled with one another and
the substrate, said film extending across said holes in the
windowed cover panel to provide windows through which the terminals
of the dry cells are visible.
Description
This invention relates to the packaging of cylindrical articles for
point-of-sale rack display; and the invention is more particularly
concerned with a package for one or more flashlight dry cells by
which they can be supported on a hook, and with the method of
forming such a package.
It is a fundamental of retail merchandising that every square foot
of floor area in a store must account for its share of the dollar
sales volume of the establishment. On that basis it is economically
undesirable, in a self-service store, to display small items such
as flashlight dry cells on horizontal counter or shelf space.
Horizontal display space must be at about waist level for customer
convenience and effective display, and it cannot be blocked by a
shelf or the like spaced too closely above it. Thus horizontal
display space severely limits the number of items that can be
exposed for sale in a given floor area.
On the basis of both retailing economics and buyer appeal, the
preferred display for small items is a rack comprising an upright
wall or partition having hooks or rods projecting forwardly from
it, with a number of like items hung on each hook. With that
arrangement a large assortment of items can be displayed
effectively in a comparatively small floor area, the customer can
readily take the item he wants, and inventory control is simple
because the number of items on each hook can be seen at a
glance.
The cylindrical shape of the conventional flashlight cell does not
lend it especially well to exposure on horizontal display space
because of its tendency to roll. But, obviously, a cylinder is even
less adaptable to hanging on a hook. Nevertheless, flashlight cells
are volume sellers that are suitable for retailing in such widely
varying types of outlets as drug stores, hardware stores and
grocery stores, all of which consciously strive to obtain the
maximum possible sales volume for every square foot of floor
space.
From the foregoing considerations it is evident that a package
which will enable dry cells to be displayed on a rack will have
advantages that will be recognized immediately by the retailer,
will therefore redound to the advantage of the manufacturer, and
will probably also benefit the consumer.
But a rack display package for dry cells must be something more
than a mere expedient for hanging dry cells on a hook. Because of
intense competition, the profit margin on dry cells imposes a
severe limitation on the cost of a rack display package.
Nevertheless, it is imperative that the package not look cheap.
The body of a dry cell has imprinted on it a substantial amount of
information that should be visible to the consumer, and this fact
imposes another stringent requirement upon dry cell rack packaging.
If the package were to conceal any part of the cylindrical side
surface of the cell, such concealment would perhaps be
psychologically undesirable but, more important, would make
necessary the imprinting of the concealed information on the
package as well as on the dry cell, thereby increasing the cost of
the package. But if the cells in the package are to be fully
visible, it is also important that the package confine them in a
predetermined orientation, so that each individual package will be
neat in itself and so that several such packages on a rack will not
present a jumbled, disorderly appearance.
Other requirements for such a package are perhaps more obvious: it
must be as compact as possible; it must be attractive in
appearance; it should not require unusual or expensive machinery
for its formation; and it must be resistant to tearing in view of
the fact that dry cells are relatively heavy and may receive rough
handling in reliance upon their sturdy construction.
The general object of this invention is to provide a rack display
package for flashlight cells and similar cylindrical articles that
fully meets all of the above stated requirements, and a method of
forming such a package.
Another and more specific object of the invention is to provide a
so-called skin package for dry cells wherein the cells are embraced
by a closely fitting film of transparent plastic material that
leaves their side surfaces fully visible, and wherein terminals at
opposite ends of the cell are also visible.
A further specific object of this invention is to provide a method
of forming packages of the character described that can be
practiced with the use of conventional skin packaging machines.
Another of the specific objects of this invention is to provide a
skin package for rack display of dry cells and similar articles,
which package comprises a substrate to which there is securely
attached a film of transparent plastic material that snugly
embraces the articles, and wherein the substrate need have only one
decorated surface, its other surface being substantially completely
hidden, and wherein the substrate has a double thickness rack hook
receiving portion that affords good resistance to tearing around
the rack hook receiving hole.
With these observations and objectives in mind, the manner in which
the invention achieves its purpose will be appreciated from the
following description and the accompanying drawings, which
exemplify the invention, it being understood that changes may be
made in the precise method of practicing the invention and in the
specific article of manufacture disclosed herein without departing
from the essentials of the invention set forth in the appended
claims.
The accompanying drawings illustrate one complete example of an
embodiment of the invention according to the best mode so far
devised for the practical application of the principles thereof,
and in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a substrate blank that
is prepared for receiving dry cells to be packaged in accordance
with the method of this invention;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the
substrate blank with a pair of dry cells to be packaged in place
thereon and ready for application of a skin packaging film;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a substrate and dry cells with film
applied and shrunk, the substrate being not yet folded;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the finished package of this
invention;
FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view through the middle of a
finished package of this invention; and
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the upper end portion of one of the
dry cells.
Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the
numeral 5 designates each of a pair of cylindrical flashlight dry
cells that are to be packaged by the method of this invention. It
will be understood that the method and package of this invention
are applicable to a variety of small cylindrical articles other
than dry cells (fluorescent lamp starters, for example), but the
packaging of dry cells represents a commercially important
application of the invention and nicely exemplifies its principles.
It will also be understood that the invention is applicable to
packaging cylindrical articles individually and in groups of more
than two; but, again, the packaging of dry cells in pairs is of
particular commercial importance and therefore serves as a good
example for purposes of explanation.
As is conventional with cylindrical flashlight cells, a bottom end
6 of each cell is substantially flat and of bare metal to provide a
negative terminal, while the upper end has a concentric boss-like
positive terminal 7. In this case each of the dry cells is of a
type sold with a strip 8 of paper or similar frangible insulating
material secured diametrically across its upper end, to insulate
the positive terminal against short circuiting and assure the buyer
that the cell has not been used.
In general the package of the present invention comprises, in
addition to a dry cell or dry cells 5, a substrate component 9 of
paperboard that overlies the tops of the cells and comprises
apertured tabs 10 that project upwardly from the cells to receive a
rack hook 11, and a transparent plastic film 12 that encloses the
cells and is adhered to the substrate component with a skin-like
close fit. Further details of the package will be apparent from the
following description of the method of forming it.
The substrate 9 is initially in the form of a flat blank 13 of a
paperboard stock that is either inherently porous or has numerous
pinholes made in it to allow air to be drawn through it. The upper
surface of the blank can be finished and decorated in any desired
manner; its lower surface can remain unfinished. Depending upon the
skin packaging machine to be used, the blank can be either a
continuous strip which is ultimately slitted and cut into
individual package elements or can consist of individual sheets,
each of which forms one package or is cut up to form a few
packages. Inasmuch as such alternatives with respect to the form of
the substrate involve well known apparatus and techniques in the
skin packaging art, they need no further exemplification or
description.
In preparation for package formation the substrate blank 13 has
terminal holes 14 and window holes 15 punched in it. Fold-defining
score lines 16, 17, 18, 19 are also made in each area of the blank
that is to comprise the substrate component 9 of an individual
package. The lines 16-19 can be scored either prior to placement of
the dry cells upon the blank (as shown) or at some later stage of
the process, up to the time at which folding on the score lines is
to occur.
As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate blank 13 is in the form of a
continuous strip having a width equal to the combined widths of two
packages, intended to be slitted along a longitudinal centerline
20, and also intended to be severed along uniformly spaced
transverse cutting lines 21. Thus the cutting lines 20 and 21
cooperate with the side edges 22 of the strip to define a plurality
of areas 9', each of which will constitute the substrate component
9 of one finished package. Since the cutting lines 20 and 21 will
thus define edges of each such substrate component 9, each area 9'
can be said to be a rectangle with opposite side edges 20 and 22
and opposite end edges 21.
The width of each substrate area 9' is substantially equal to the
combined diameters of the dry cells in a package (i.e., twice the
diameter of a dry cell in the present case). In the illustrated
case of a two-cell package, the length of each substrate area 9' is
somewhat greater than its width, but a substrate for a package
containing a different number of cells would have about the same
length as the one here shown.
The terminal holes 14 in each substrate area 9' have their centers
on a line parallel to fold lines 16-19 and somewhat closer to one
end than to the other of the substrate area. The terminal holes are
of such size, and are so spaced from the side edges 20 and 22, that
they can receive the terminals 7 of cells that are
circumferentially contiguous and disposed between said side
edges.
There is a window hole 15 for each of terminal holes 14. Each
window hole has its center on a line through the center of its
terminal hole that is parallel to the side edges 20, 22; and the
center-to-center distance between each window hole and its terminal
hole is substantially equal to the diameter of a dry cell.
The substrate blank, having the holes 14 and 15 therein, is run
through a conventional skin packaging machine (not shown). At the
loading station of the machine the dry cells to be packaged are
placed on the substrate blank with their terminals 7 lowermost,
each terminal being received in one of the terminal holes 14, as
illustrated in FIG. 2. In the conventional manner of skin
packaging, a film of molten transparent thermoplastic material,
applied either as a sheet or as a curtain-like stream, is deposited
over the dry cells and over substantially all portions of the
substrate not covered by the cells. Note that the film extends
across the window holes 15 to form windows. By the conventional
application of suction to the underside of the substrate before the
film material hardens, that material is drawn into skin-like
intimate engagement with the dry cells and substrate.
After application and shrinking of the film, the substrate blank is
cut up to define the individual package substrate components 9, as
shown in in FIG. 3, and if the fold lines 16-19 have not previously
scored, they are scored at that time.
Attention is now directed to the relationships between the score
lines 16-19. The terminal holes 14 have their centers midway
between fold lines 17 and 18, and those fold lines are spaced apart
by a distance substantially equal to the diameter of a dry cell.
Hence fold lines 17 and 18 define between them a base panel 24 that
overlies the tops of the dry cells and has substantially only
corner portions projecting radially beyond them. Note that the
finished surface of the base panel faces the dry cells.
The fold line 19 is at the opposite side of window holes 15 from
the fold line 18, and is closely adjacent to those holes. The fold
lines 18 and 19 thus define between them a windowed cover panel 25.
The windowed cover panel 25 is folded flatwise over the base panel
24, along the fold line 18. Since the fold line 18 is midway
between the centers of holes 14 and of holes 15, such folding
establishes the window holes 15 in register with the terminal holes
14, so that the terminals 7 of the dry cells are readily visible
through the windows. It will be observed that the windowed cover
panel 25 overlies more than half of the base panel 24.
The space between fold line 17 and its outwardly adjacent fold line
16 defines another cover panel 26. The last mentioned cover panel
is substantially narrower than the windowed cover panel. It is
folded flatwise over the base panel, along fold line 17, to
flatwise overlie the minor portion of the base panel that the
windowed panel does not cover. When the cover panels 25 and 26 are
thus folded into flatwise overlying relation to the base panel, the
score lines 16 and 19 are contiguous to one another. Note that the
finished surfaces of the cover panels face upwardly, away from the
dry cells.
Between each of the score lines 16 and 19 and its adjacent end edge
21 of the substrate there is a tab 27. The two tabs 27 are
identical in size, and in the finished package they project
upwardly from the cover panels 25 and 26 in flatwise contiguous
relation to one another. Preferably the tabs 27 are flatwise bonded
to one another by means of a suitable adhesive, as designated by 28
in FIG. 5. As further indicated in that figure, the two cover
panels 25 and 26 can also be bonded to their underlying base panel
24, although this is not considered necessary for satisfactory
appearance. Registering holes 29 through the two tabs, receive a
rack display hook 11. These holes may be punched in a single
operation after the substrate is folded, or they may be punched
before the substrate is folded and while it is still flat. Note
that the finished surfaces of the tabs face outwardly.
It will be observed that the surface of the substrate that is
lowermost during the skin forming operation is substantially
entirely hidden in the finished package by reason of the manner of
folding the substrate.
From the foregoing description, taken with the accompanying
drawings, it will be apparent that this invention provides an
inexpensive but very attractive package that permits rack display
of dry cells and similar cylindrical articles and allows
substantially all parts of the finished article to be visible. It
will also be apparent that the invention provides a simple and
expeditious method of forming a package of the character described
that can be readily practiced with the use of a conventional skin
packaging machine.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention can be
embodied in forms other than as herein disclosed for purposes of
illustration.
* * * * *