US20080283695A1

US20080283695A1 - Standable package

Info

Publication number: US20080283695A1
Application number: US12/052,353
Authority: US
Inventors: William E. Morgan
Original assignee: J&J PACKAGING Inc
Current assignee: J&J PACKAGING Inc
Priority date: 2007-05-15
Filing date: 2008-03-20
Publication date: 2008-11-20
Also published as: US20080283435A1

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.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of co-pending U.S. Provisional Application 60/938,112, filed May 15, 2007.

TECHNICAL FIELD

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

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.
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

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,
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.
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,
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.
The invention also relates to 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.
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.
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

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front of an assembled standing package according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the package of FIG. 1 holding an article in the form of a bottle.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a single paper sheet cut so as to construct the package according to FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the package of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the package and bottle of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a back view of the package of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a side view of another standable package according to the invention holding the bottle of FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the package of FIG. 7 in a standing position holding the bottle of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a single paper sheet cut so as to construct another standable package according to the invention.

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.

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

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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,

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 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

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,

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.