Fifth panel reclosable package

A product containing package having a fifth panel for the support thereof from a display and an integral instruction panel containing information personal to the user of the packaged products, hidden within the closed compartment of the package from viewing until such time as the compartment is opened, at which time the information contained on the instruction panel is immediately presented to view by at least partially obstructing access to the products within the compartment. Included within the package are structure for guiding the insertion of products into the compartment and alerting the user of package tampering.

The present invention relates generally to display packaging. More 
particularly, it relates to improvements in point of sales display 
packages which assure the proper conveyance to the customer of instruction 
and necessary descriptive material in the proper use of the packaged 
products as well as to obviate otherwise undetectable tampering, and to 
aid in the production assembly of the products into the package. 
Pegboard or similar point of sales displays, from which packaged 
merchandise is supportingly suspended, utilize a "fifth panel" package 
which includes a product containing compartment that is suspended from the 
pegboard hook or other support by the fifth panel. Since "fifth panel" 
pegboard display packaging is not typically closely supervised and is 
usually displayed in prominent areas, the same are vulnerable to 
tampering, not just of the products contained therewithin, but also of the 
package itself. The tendency to tamper with such packages, therefore, 
severely limits the nature of the products that can be practically 
displayed since tampering presents formidable risks to the products when 
the products are of the personal or home care type, such as prophylactics 
and the like. 
In the display and sale of personal and home care products that require 
explicit instructions as to their use, efforts to provide the required or 
necessary and helpful information relating to product use by the inclusion 
of graphic or pictorial illustrations placed within the package of the 
product often are overlooked, go unheeded or are completely ignored. 
Because of this, attempts have been made to apply this information to the 
package exterior. However, the same have offended some members of the 
public thereby resulting in the removal of the package from display 
completely and a reduction in sales of the product. Especially important 
is the reduction and elimination of instances of tampering with the 
personal and home care product containing packages to assure the efficacy 
of the product itself. 
The desideratum of the present invention is to provide a package that is 
peculiarly well suited for use as a point of sales display of personal and 
home care type products that are generally not sold over the counter 
because of the personal type messages and instructional information that 
must be displayed and conveyed to the user. 
Hence, an object of the present invention is to overcome the problems of 
the prior art by providing a package which includes an integral 
instruction panel that is fully enclosed within a closed product 
containing compartment and initially hidden from public view until such 
time as the compartment is opened. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a package in which the 
instruction panel is positioned within the product compartment such that 
when the compartment is opened, the instruction panel is exposed to view 
and at least partially obstructs access to the compartment interior, 
thereby requiring the user to read the instructions on the panel before 
removing any products from the compartment. 
A further object of the invention is to provide a fifth panel package in 
which the fifth panel is employed to reclose the compartment after the 
same is initially opened. In this connection a feature and object of the 
invention resides in the provision of a removable tear strip that must be 
forcefully and deliberately removed from the package when the compartment 
is to be opened. Any tampering with the package and the tear strip will 
immediately become apparent and obvious to the purchaser who will be 
warned of the same. As a consequence, those who might attempt to tamper 
with packages will tend to be deterred and discouraged from package and 
product tampering by the present package construction. 
Other and further objects of the invention reside in the provision of guide 
means to guide the insertion of products into the compartment to enhance 
the filling of the compartment with the products and to prevent accidental 
insertion of the products into the compartment in such manner as to 
inhibit the proper functioning of the instruction panel.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 7 of the drawings, the package constructed 
according to the teaching of the invention is generally identified by the 
numeral 10. Although the package 10 is unusually well adapted for point of 
display of personal and home care products that generally are not openly 
displayed in some communities for sale over the counter, the same is not 
intended and should not be limited to such usage. As the description 
proceeds, it will be apparent that the package 10 is not intended to be 
limited to the sale of or for use with any particular products. 
The package 10 is initially formed from a die cut blank that is generally 
identified in FIG. 7 by the numeral 12. The blank 12 is formed of a series 
of integrally related and connected panels that are joined together at 
fold lines. Many of the panels also include side flaps which will be 
described. 
Referring to the blank of FIG. 7, the same includes a top panel 14 that is 
joined on its one side by a front member 16 and a back member 18, both of 
which members comprise the fifth panel illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6 by the 
number 20. The top panel 14 is serially connected at its opposite side to 
a front panel 22, a bottom panel 24 and a back panel 26. Each of the 
interconnected panels 14, 22, 24 and 26 are interrupted by fold lines 28, 
30 and 32 respectively, thereby permitting each of the aforementioned 
panels to be joined and folded relative to each other to complete the 
formation of the package 10 and to form a closed compartment to be defined 
thereby. 
Intermediate the top panel 14 and the back member 16 is a fold line 34 
while the front and back members 16 and 18 have a fold line 36 that 
permits them to bend relative to each other to complete the fifth panel 
20. Integrally connected to the fifth panel 20 and more particularly to 
the back member 18 thereof, as an extension of the fifth panel 20, is an 
instruction panel 38 that is joined and bendable relative to the fifth 
panel by a fold line 40. The instruction panel 38 is provided at one of 
its sides with a flap or guide tab 42 whose function will be described at 
a later point in this disclosure. 
Each of the panels 14, 22, 24 and 26 is provided with an end closure flap 
at its opposite ends. Thus, the top panel 14 has the opposite closure 
flaps 44, the front panel 22 has the opposite closure flaps 46. Similarly, 
the bottom panel 24 includes the closure flaps 48 while the back panel 26 
supports and is integral with the end closure flaps 50. Each of the flaps 
44, 46, 48 and 50 fold along the lines 52 relative to the panels from 
which they project. 
The back panel 26 has defined on it, and formed as an integral part with 
it, a removable tear strip 54 which also could be appropriately identified 
as a removable panel 54, except that during the formation of the blank 12 
the tear strip 54 is formed as an inseparable part of the back panel 26. 
The tear strip 54 has bendable finger tabs or grips 56 at its opposite 
ends that are capable of being flexed relative to the strip 54 at fold 
lines 58. Delineating the tear strip 54 from its integral back panel 26 is 
a cut line 60 which penetrates partially through the thickness of the 
material of the panel 26, but not fully therethrough. The tear or cut line 
60 merges at its opposite ends with a perforation or tear line 62 that is 
a continuation of the partially through-depth perforation 64. As the 
description proceeds, it will become apparent that the separation and 
removal of the tear strip 54 from the back panel 26 requires a release of 
both the perforations 62 and 64 and the cut line 60 in a manner that will 
be described. 
The inside surface, that is to say, the interior surface of the back panel 
26 and more particularly the tear strip 54 is provided with an elongated 
adhesive surface that is shown in broken lines 66. The adhesive surface 66 
engages with and adheres to a complementary adhesive surface 68 that is 
shown in solid lines on the back member 18 of the fifth panel 20. The 
blank 12 is now ready to be formed into the partially closed condition as 
is illustrated in FIG. 3. 
FIG. 3 illustrates the near one of the ends of the package 10 being left 
open with the end closure flaps thereat fully distended and opened to 
illustrate the interior product containing compartment 70 to be formed 
thereby. This is accomplished by folding the members 16 and 18 relative to 
each other along the line 36. When they are in full surface to surface 
engagement, an adhesive suitably placed between them will retain them 
adhered together as a single fifth panel 20 such as is illustrated in 
FIGS. 1 to 6. When doubled together in that position, their pegboard 
receiving slot 72, originally formed in each of the members 16 and 18, is 
now reinforced so as to permit the package 10 to be supported from a 
pegboard hook or other suitable support (not shown). 
Because the instruction panel 38 is an extension of the back member 18, it 
extends downwardly therefrom in the manner as is illustrated in FIG. 3. 
The top panel 14, front panel 22, bottom panel 24 and back panel 26 all 
are bent relative to each other along their respective fold lines so as to 
bring the adhesive surface 66 into engagement with the complementary 
adhesive surface 68 on the back member 18 to secure the panels in their 
initial compartment forming relationship as is illustrated in FIG. 3. 
The side flaps 44, 46, 48 and 50 extending from their respective panels 
opposite the open end as illustrated in FIG. 3 are bent inwardly toward 
each other to close their respective end of the compartment 70 and of the 
package 10. They are thus sealed in this position in the manner as is 
illustrated in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6 with the flap 46 overlying all the other 
flaps to form a smooth outer end surface of the package 10. 
The near open end of the compartment 70 as illustrated in FIG. 3 is 
deliberately left open so as to illustrate the function of the flap or 
guide tab 42. When the compartment 70 is partially enclosed as illustrated 
in FIG. 3, the guide tab 42 projects outwardly beyond the open end of the 
compartment 70. This outward projection of the guide tab permits products 
to be machine fed in a production manner into the open end of the 
compartment 70 and prevents the products from entering between the back of 
the instruction panel 38 and the adjacent interior surface of the back 
panel 26. 
Thus, in the automatic insertion of products into the compartment 70, the 
products are inserted at an angle to the open end of the compartment. As 
the products are inserted into the compartment 70, they engage against the 
upstanding or outstanding guide tab 42. The guide tab 42, being engaged by 
the products, guides the products smoothly into the interior of the 
compartment 70 until such time as the proper number of products are 
inserted into such compartment. Thereafter, the tab 42 is bent inward in 
covering relation to the open end of the compartment 70, as are the flaps 
44, 48, 50 and finally 46 which then completely closes the open end of the 
compartment as is illustrated in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6. 
From what has been described above, it will be recognized that the guide 
tab 42, extending beyond the instruction panel 38 of which it forms an 
integral part, functions as a guiding tab to enable rapid insertion of 
products into the interior of the compartment 70. Its enclosure within the 
compartment 70 is facilitated by the fold line 52. In practice it has been 
found that if the fold line 52 is perforated as illustrated in the 
drawing, the tab 42 subsequently may be removed from the instruction panel 
38 at a later time so that the same will permit the proper operation of 
the instruction panel 38 to at least partially obstruct access to the 
interior of the compartment when the compartment is later opened for 
access to the products contained therewithin. This function will be 
described at a subsequent point in this disclosure. 
After the open end of the compartment 70 shown in FIG. 3 is closed, the 
package assumes the completed display position as is illustrated in FIG. 
1, and also in FIG. 2. It is now capable of being hung from any suitable 
support at the support slot 72 defined and provided within the 
reinforcement of the double member fifth panel 20. Suitable attractive and 
enticing advertising material may be applied to all of the exterior 
surfaces of the package 10 to induce the purchase of the product contained 
therewithin. However, because of the personal nature of the products that 
may be enclosed within the package 10, it is sometimes irritating to 
certain segments of the public to have them displayed on such external 
package surfaces. 
In an effort to avoid public embarrassment and/or irritation, such 
information now may be included on the interior of the package 10 and more 
particularly within the closed compartment 70 thereof hidden from view by 
including the same on the instruction panel 38. This is especially 
convenient because the instruction panel 38 is always hidden from view 
when the compartment 70 is closed, yet able to contain whatever 
instructional material may be deemed necessary to aid in the practice and 
use of the product contained within the compartment 70. 
Access to the product within the compartment 70 is afforded simply by 
grasping one of the finger tabs or grips 56 provided on the tear strip 54 
that forms a unitary part of the back panel 26. A tugging force applied to 
such finger tabs or grips 56 enables the tear strip 54 to be pulled free 
and separated from the back panel 26 by initially causing the separation 
of the tear strip from the back panel at the adjacent perforation end 62. 
As a continued tearing, tug or pull is applied to the tear strip 54, the 
same continues to separate from the back panel 26 along the perforated 
line 64 while also tearing free from the back panel 26 along the 
relatively spaced cut line 60. 
The relative spacing between the lines 64 and 60, with the perforation 64 
being formed on the inner surface of the back panel 26 and cut line 60 
formed on the outer surface of the back panel 26, produces a delamination 
of the cardboard material of the back panel 26 along such respective lines 
of separation. The delamination requires a greater tearing force to be 
applied to the tear strip 54 than would a single perforation or cut line 
which extends more than halfway through the thickness of the material of 
the back panel 26. 
From this it will be clear that the spaced relationship of the cut and 
perforation lines 60 and 64 provides an unusual benefit in the present 
invention. It serves as a tamper-proof arrangement of structure. That is 
to say, although the package 10 may be unauthorizedly tampered with, any 
attempt to open the package by removing the tear strip 54 along its cut 
and perforation lines from the back panel 26 must result in the 
delamination and mutilation of the back panel and the tear strip. Thus, a 
potential purchaser of the package 10 and the products contained 
therewithin will immediately see and recognize that the package has been 
tampered with and thereby be dissuaded from purchasing the same for fear 
that the products in the package have also been tampered with. Hence, one 
of the unique features of the present invention is in providing a package 
10 which serves to afford an indication of whether there has been an 
attempt to tamper with the package and/or the products contained 
therewithin. This arrangement of structure thus serves to dissuade and 
deter tampering by unauthorized persons who will immediately recognize 
that their efforts are easily apparent, obvious and discoverable. 
Complete removal of the tear strip 54 is accomplished by separating or 
delaminating the adhered surfaces 66 and 68 from each other in area 68. 
This is performed at the same time as the tear strip 54 is being torn free 
of its unitary relationship with the back panel 26 along the perforation 
lines 62 and 64, and the cut line 60. Once the tear strip 54 is removed 
from the panel 26 as is illustrated in FIG. 4, the fifth panel 20 now is 
able to be lifted so as to provide access to the interior of the 
compartment 70 at the top of the package in the manner as illustrated in 
FIG. 5. 
There it will be noted that the instruction panel 38, forming an integral 
part of the back member 18, is lifted with the fifth panel 20 out from 
behind its adjacent relationship with the interior surface of the back 
panel 26. When so lifted into the position as shown in FIG. 5, the 
instruction panel 38 is immediately exposed to view by the user of the 
package and is in a position of at least partially obstructing access to 
the products of the interior of the compartment 70. As a consequence, 
before the user of the package can remove any of the product contents from 
the compartment 70, it is first necessary to displace the instruction 
panel 38 from its obstructing position. 
This requires the user to observe the panel 38 and to read the instructive 
material contained thereon, which incidentally had previously been hidden 
within the interior of the package from view of the public. In this way, 
the instruction panel 38 performs an important instructive purpose of 
requiring the user of the package to read its contents before removing the 
products from the interior of the compartment 70 and assures that the 
information and material contained thereon will be visible at all times to 
the user after the compartment is opened. 
After the instruction panel 38 is deflected or moved out of obstructing 
position and the product has been removed by the user from the compartment 
70, the package 10 then may be reclosed to retain the freshness and 
integrity of the products remaining within compartment 70. At this time 
the guide tab 44 may be torn free of the instruction panel 38 at the 
perforation line 52 so that the guide tab 42 will not interfere with the 
proper function of the instruction panel 38. On the other hand, in 
practice it has been found that the tab 42 may be torn at the perforated 
line 52 and separated from the instruction panel 38 after all of the 
products have been inserted into the compartment 70 and before its 
respective open end as shown in FIG. 3 is closed. The time at which the 
tab 42 is removed is but a matter of choice. 
To reclose the now opened package 10, it is merely necessary to bend the 
fifth panel 20 downward about the fold line 34 in a direction opposite to 
that which it had previously assumed with respect to the top panel 14 as 
shown in FIGS. 1 through 5 inclusive. That is to say, the fifth panel 20 
now is bent about the fold line 34 in the direction as shown in FIG. 6 
wherein the fifth panel 20 now serves the purpose of a closure flap as an 
integral extension of the top panel 14 such that it may be inserted into 
the compartment 70 behind and adjacent to the interior surface of the back 
panel 26 as shown in FIG. 6. This is done after the side flaps 44, 
extending from the opposite ends of the top panel 14, are removed at 
perforation line 52 or are inserted into the interior of the compartment 
70 adjacent to and alongside the other end closure tabs 46, 48 and 50. 
The reclosure of the compartment 70 and of the package 10 by the fifth 
panel 20 enables the fifth panel to perform a double function. In addition 
to serving as a display support, it also enables the same to close the 
package 10 at the rear thereof rather than at the front. Hence, the 
appearance of the reclosed package is not detracted from when it is in its 
reclosed position. Because the reclosure is accomplished at the back of 
the package and not at its front, it does not detract from the artistic 
value of the package. 
During the reclosing operation, the instruction panel 38 folds inward along 
the fold line 40 so that it abuts against the inner surface of the top 
panel 14 as is illustrated in FIG. 6. In this way, when the package 10 is 
reopened by removing the fifth reclosure panel 20 from the interior of the 
compartment 70, the fold line 40 applies a biasing and lifting force to 
the instruction panel 38 causing it to rise and reassume its obstructing 
instructing position as shown in FIG. 5. This requires the user to move 
the instruction panel 38 out of its obstructing relationship to the open 
top of the compartment 70 before new access can be had to the products 
contained therewithin. Obviously it requires the user to read before 
physically removing the obstructing panel 38 and prior to the removal of 
any products from the compartment. This at least assures, in part, that 
the information contained on the obstructing panel 38 is always placed 
directly and immediately before the user of the products with the 
knowledge that the instructive material contained thereon will be read and 
followed. 
The embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 is essentially the same as 
that described with respect to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 7 inclusive. 
The two embodiments differ in that the second embodiment teaches how the 
invention may be applied to a smaller package for containing smaller 
products. For this reason, therefore, the package of the second embodiment 
is generally identified by the numeral 110 and all similar parts of the 
second embodiment corresponding to those of the first above-described 
embodiment are identified by like 10's numerals. The second embodiment is 
numbered in the 100 series with the 10's digits corresponding to the 
numbers of like parts of the first embodiment. 
Without redescribing the whole of the package 110, it should be noted that 
the instruction panel 138 of the package 110 has a further extension panel 
174 on which the flap or guide tab 142 is provided. Obviously the tab 142 
performs the equivalent function of the tab 42 previously described. It 
may be separated from the extension panel 174 in the same manner as the 
tab 42 was able to be separated from the instruction panel 138 along the 
tear line 152. 
The purpose of the extension panel 174 is to position the guide tab 142 
into a location with respect to the compartment 170 such that products 
being automatically and mechanically production fed into the compartment 
170 will physically engage with the guide tab 142 at a point that is 
approximately midway between the top and bottom panels 114 and 124. This 
assures that the products will engage the guide tab 142 and will be 
directed into the interior of the compartment 170 and will not enter 
between the adjacent surfaces of the instruction panel 138 and the back 
panel 126. 
The extension panel 174 also performs a further function in that, by reason 
of the small size of the package 110, it may be difficult to include 
sufficient instructional information in graphics and type large enough to 
be read by the naked eye of the user of the products of the package. 
Therefore, the extension panel 174 combines with the instruction panel 138 
to provide a larger area to include all of the necessary and desired 
instructional material. 
In practice, the package 110 is utilized in the same manner and for the 
same laudable purposes as is the larger package 10. When the tear strip 
154 is removed from its rear panel 126 to open the compartment 170, the 
instruction panel 138 and its integral extension 174 are immediately 
exposed to view and in obstructing access to the products in the 
compartment. Hence, their information must be read before they can be 
removed from their obstructing position. 
Reclosure of the package 110 is performed in the same manner as with the 
package 10. In FIG. 9 the fifth panel 120 is shown in its open position by 
the broken lines. It is bent into its flap, reclosing position relative to 
the top panel 114 at the fold 134 to assume its solid line position in 
FIG. 9. When the fifth panel 120 is inserted into the compartment 170 
behind the rear panel 126, the instruction panel 138 and its extension 174 
fold into the compartment also. Hence, when the panel 120 is removed from 
the compartment, it lifts with it the instruction and extension panels 138 
and 174 that are biased into access obstructing position to the 
compartment opening by the fold 140. This assures that the instructive 
information contained on the panels 138 and 174 will be read. The flaps 
144 may be removed at their perforation lines 152 before reclosure or they 
may remain undisturbed to be inserted into the interior of the compartment 
with the fifth panel 120. 
While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental 
novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment 
thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions 
and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its 
operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from 
the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited 
only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.