Special receptacle or package – Combined or convertible
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-12
2001-01-16
Foster, Jim (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
Combined or convertible
C206S459500, C206S497000, C206S831000, C426S112000, C053S467000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173833
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention generally relates to packaging, particularly relates to packaging including a premium, and specifically relates to packaging including a separately formed tray for receipt of a promotional premium in the sale of products such as cereal.
Due to the fierce competition in the marketing of breakfast cereals, it is the practice of many cereal manufacturers to include a premium with the cereal to promote the sale of the cereal beyond the marketability of the cereal itself. It can certainly be appreciated that such promotional devices must meet several requirements. First, as such devices are typically given away with the product, such devices must be relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Additionally, such devices must have the ability to be easily included with the product without disruption of the normal handling of such product. Thus, it is desirable that the promotional device be includable with the product without requiring different boxes, cartons, or the like, which would increase the cost of product production. Similarly, the promotional device should not require special handling or care by the manufacturer and retailer of the product beyond that normally given the product without the promotional device. But most important, the promotional device should have consumer appeal to maximize the promotional value of the device.
Promotional devices include items like coupons, toys, novelty items, or the like which are placed in the boxes of the product. It can then be appreciated that the promotional device is hidden inside the box and often access to the promotional device can occur only after consumption of most, if not all, of the product. Thus, the promotional value is reduced in that only facsimile representations of the promotional device are available at the time of purchase and customer enjoyment of the promotional device is delayed. This is also disadvantageous for other reasons. First, as the premium can not be seen from the outside of the box, it is impossible for the manufacturer to verify that a promotional device is actually present and has not been omitted from any particular box without opening the box and thus destroying its marketability. Omission of the promotional device results in customer dissatisfaction and may actually reduce the marketability of the product. Additionally, to promote the sale of the product and as the customer can not see the promotional device, the outside of the box includes printing advertising the existence of the promotional device. Thus, it is necessary to inventory a variety of different cartons with different graphics corresponding to the promotion devices intended to be utilized. In addition to the extra inventory costs, it can be appreciated that this is very inflexible in the ability to change the promotional device because of unavailability or changing market conditions, for example.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,886 represents a major advancement in the inclusion of promotional devices in packaging which overcomes many of the shortcomings experienced in prior attempts. However, various deficiencies have been recognized which were not considered at the conception of the invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,886.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide packaging which exposes a promotional device separately from the sale of a product, and especially cereal.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such novel packaging wherein the promotional device can be added after the product has been placed in the box.
It is still further an object of the present invention to provide such novel packaging wherein the promotional device of a variety of types can be added to a generic box.
Still another object of the present invention is to allow a promotional device to be added at the end of the production line or off-line at an alternate site to the product manufactured in a conventional manner.
In yet another object of the present invention, the promotional device is viewable from the outside of the carton for the product.
In still another object of the present invention, access to the promotional device is allowed without requiring consumption of all or part of the product within the carton.
Further, in another object of the present invention, the packaging including an exposed promotion device has enhanced ability to be mechanically fabricated.
Also, in still another object of the present invention, the ease of removal of the promotional device for a separately formed tray is enhanced especially by young children and without the use of tools.
SUMMARY
Surprisingly, these objects and other aims can be satisfied in the field of promotional devices in the sale of products by providing, in the most preferred form, a method for packaging and a package wherein a basket of a tray is inserted into an opening formed in a panel of the carton until a flange extending from the open end of the basket abuts with the panel outside of the opening, with the promotional device being received in the basket. In a preferred embodiment, the tray is retained in the panel by a label or film shrink wrapped over the entire package including over the tray and the panel outside of the opening and the flange, with a separate label being provided in the most preferred form for retaining the promotional device in the basket.
In still other aspects of the present invention, the separate label which retains the promotional device in the basket includes an integral pull tab extending from the periphery of the label and outside of the securement of the label to the tray to provide enhanced ability to remove the separate label from the tray.
The present invention will become clearer in light of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments of this invention described in connection with the drawings.
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Foster Jim
General Mills Inc.
Kamrath Alan D.
O'Toole John A.
Taylor Douglas J.
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