Special receptacle or package – Article housing attached to panel – Movable or detachable housing closure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-30
2001-12-18
Fidei, David T. (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
Article housing attached to panel
Movable or detachable housing closure
C206S471000, C206S461000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06330945
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
None.
STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
None.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to packages in general, and to thermoformed plastic clamshell packages in particular.
Packages intended for the retail display of merchandise must meet several demanding requirements: they should be easily loaded with product, readily mounted for display, and attractive in appearance. In addition, it is desirable that the customer be able to see the product directly.
The clamshell package has long provided a satisfactory solution to these needs. Typically thermoformed from a thin sheet of transparent thermoplastic material, the conventional clamshell package has a cover with a frontwardly protruding product bubble which receives the merchandise, and a base which is pivotally connected to the base by a molded hinge. Because the base is permanently connected to the cover, all the elements needed to close the package remain connected from the time of manufacture of the blister to the final closure of the package after product loading. Often a printed card is enclosed between the cover and the base to provide descriptive and identifying information about the product contents. The base may be sealed to the cover by heat sealing, adhesive, or ultrasonic sealing, or, if ready opening of the package is required, the base may be releasably secured in the closed position on the cover by interengaging tabs and detents.
However, distinctive and eye-catching packages can help to make a particular product stand out from other goods. Furthermore, volume for display of goods is in short reply, giving an advantage to products which can be compactly displayed. What is needed is an attractive clam shell package which is economically loaded with product, and which effectively makes use of retail volume to maximize consumer attention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The hanging clamshell package of this invention has a thermoformed plastic blister with a cover pivotally connected by a hinge to a base. The cover has a curved rearwardly opening front wall. A product bubble protrudes frontwardly from the cover front wall and has a curved front face. A bubble top wall extends between the cover front wall and the bubble front face, and beneath the bubble top wall, a bubble bottom wall extends between the cover front wall and the bubble front face. The forward extension of the bubble top wall is less than the forward extension of the bubble bottom wall, tending to counteract the visual impact of product settling. The base has a curved rearwardly opening base front wall of approximately the same curvature as the cover front wall. A card is clasped between the cover front wall and the base front wall and is thereby conformed to a curvature approximately matching that of the cover front wall. When a peg is inserted though a package hang hole above the product bubble, the low center of gravity of the loaded package causes it to pivot rearwardly, bringing the curved front wall of the cover to a more nearly vertical orientation.
The curved cover front wall has a hang hole opening in its uppermost regions, and a loading surface is defined between the hang hole and the product bubble. This inclined loading surface facilitates the introduction of product into the bubble during loading, reducing the level of accuracy required for product positioning during loading.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hanging package which presents maximum visual display surface for a given size.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a hanging package which presents a more nearly upright display surface when the package is tilted frontwardly due to the loading of the package.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a hanging package which causes an enclosed card to take on a curved shape.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a method for loading a clam shell package with product which requires less accurate positioning of the product as it is introduced into the package.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Fidei David T.
Lathrop & Clark LLP
Placon Corporation
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