Special receptacle or package – Convertible to or from display configuration – Portion moves to expose content
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-27
2001-11-06
Foster, Jim (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
Convertible to or from display configuration
Portion moves to expose content
C206S705000, C206S499000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311845
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to bulk packaging and display of articles for sale and, more particularly, to a container and packaging arrangement for shipping and displaying irregularly shaped articles, such as packaged batteries, for sale to consumers.
The common practice for displaying small and lightweight retail items, such as alkaline batteries, is to package the items in thermoformed blister card packages and place the blister card packages on shelves or hang the packages on hooks on various display racks. The conventional blister card battery package is composed of a display card which provides a generally stiff supportive backing, usually composed of cardboard, and a thermoformed polymeric blister that is typically heat sealed or otherwise connected to the display card. The display card provides support for displaying the merchandise for sale and contains print and graphics with suitable indicia such as trademarks, advertising, and instructions. The thermoformed blister generally comprises one or more pieces of clear polymeric material, e.g., plastic, that defines a compartment, generally having a shape to fit over and cover the product(s) contained within the package. The blister package isolates the product(s) from the purchaser and prevents inadvertent damage that can result from repeated handling prior to sale, while further allowing for the orderly display of product(s) for sale to consumers.
Blister card packages for containing batteries, as well as other types of products, typically form irregularly shaped articles, since the polymeric blister, which is generally located at one end, is much greater in front-to-rear depth than the display card that extends throughout the remainder of the package. As a result, the blister card package has a lop-sided configuration which makes it difficult to efficiently package bulk articles for shipment from the article manufacturing facility to a promotional display location, such as a retail store, where the packaged articles are placed on display trays or racks for display and sale to consumers.
It has been common practice for irregularly shaped blister card packages to be shipped in bulk in rectangular cardboard shipping containers with the blister card packages arranged in a staggered reverse orientation in which the narrow part of one package is juxtaposed with the wide part of an adjacent package to minimize volume consumption. However, when the shipping container is opened at the retail store to display the packages, the blister packages must be individually handled by store personnel to place the individual packages on the display trays or display racks. The manual handling includes arranging the individual packages so that the packages are oriented in the same direction and the graphics on each display card are displayed to face the consumers. The conventional approach for displaying irregularly shaped packaged products therefore involves manual handling which is generally time consuming and costly. Additionally, the shipping container is generally discarded once the blister card packages are manually relocated for display on the display trays or racks.
Accordingly, there is a need, heretofore unfulfilled, for a relatively inexpensive and easy to use container for shipping and displaying packaged products for sale and display to consumers in a manner that minimizes or eliminates the manual handling of individual articles, and offers efficient use of space. There is a further need to provide for such a container for shipping and displaying blister card packages, such as those containing batteries, which have an irregularly shaped package configuration.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides for a product shipping and display container that houses packaged products arranged for shipping and display to consumers which offers efficient shipping space consumption and minimizes manual handling of the individual packages. To achieve this and other advantages, and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention as embodied and described herein, one aspect of the present invention provides for a combination container and arrangement of packaged articles for sale to consumers. The container has side walls and top and bottom walls defining a compartment, and removable material engaging the container to retain packaged articles during shipment of the packaged articles and removable to provide a dispensing opening for displaying the packaged articles for sale to consumers. The container contains a plurality of packaged articles each having a display card and a housing for housing one or more products, wherein the housing has a thickness substantially greater than the thickness of the display card. The packaged articles are arranged in the container with upper and lower packaged articles, wherein an upper packaged article is offset and supported on a lower packaged article to provide efficient use of space in the container. A retainer is formed on the lower packaged article for retaining the upper packaged article supported on the lower packaged article. Articles may be individually removed from the container through the dispensing opening.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an arrangement of packaged articles are provided which includes a lower packaged article and an upper packaged article. The lower and upper packaged articles each include a display card and a housing for housing one or more products, wherein the housing has a thickness substantially greater than the thickness of the display card. The lower packaged article has a retainer, preferably formed in an upper surface of the housing, for receiving the upper packaged article. Accordingly, the upper packaged article is supported on top of the lower packaged article and the upper and lower packaged articles are retained in a fixed relative position by the retainer.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a packaged article for display in a stacked arrangement is provided having a display card and a housing for housing one or more products. The housing has a thickness substantially greater than the thickness of the display card. The packaged article has a retainer, preferably formed on an upper surface of the housing, for retaining another packaged article on top of the housing such that an upper article may be stacked on top of a lower article.
These and other features, advantages and objects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims and appended drawings.
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Pirro Jeffrey P.
Uren Wayne E.
Eveready Battery Company Inc.
Foster Jim
Fraser Stewart A.
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