Package for a number of products and method of using same

A generally flat, reversible package for shipping and displaying on an hanging fixture in either of two positions a finite number of consumer products which products have a volume defined by given dimensions, such as length, width and height. This package comprises a front generally flat sheet, a back generally flat sheet with the sheet lying in a plane adapted to be vertical when the package is on the fixture, the sheets each have a vertically extending center line dividing the sheets into side-by-side, vertically spaced first and second display segments. A self-sustaining blister container formed from transparent plastic and having a total volume for housing a preselected number of the product to be displayed in side-by-side relationship is provided with means for securing this blister container on the first display segment extending from the flat front sheet a distance generally corresponding to the heights of the products lying in a single layer on the front sheet and in a preselected location and occupying a given area on the first segment of the front sheet, a rear access means, such as an opening through an opaque intermediate sheet, for allowing observation of at least one of the products in the container from the back sheet and having an hanger aperture through the package at a position generally on the aforementioned center line and vertically above the container. In addition, a method of using this reversible package is provided wherein two packages are nested together when placed upon a cantilever hanging fixture, such as a pegboard arm.

The present invention relates to the art of packages and more particularly 
to a package for a finite number of individual consumer products, such as 
lug nuts, and the method of using the unique package. 
The invention is particularly applicable for shipping and displaying a 
number of replacement and/or decorative lug nuts such as are commonly 
employed to fasten vehicle wheels in place on vehicle axles, and it will 
be described with particular reference thereto; however, it is appreciated 
that the invention is broader in scope and may apply to various consumer 
products which have a size generally similar to a lug nut and are sold in 
a set, including a finite number of such products. 
Mass merchandising of lug nuts generally involves a package which maintains 
a preselected number of lug nuts, as a set, together with a substantial 
amount of description information indicating which lug nuts are being 
sold, the type of vehicle using the various sizes and styles, how the lug 
nuts are to be installed, and related detailed sales information. Such 
details are even more important with respect to replacement lug nuts which 
are used on decorative replacement wheels and standard OEM wheels of the 
type having no wheel covers. Packages for maintaining the lug nuts in 
sets, for providing sufficient details, and for displaying the lug nuts to 
the consumer, an essential feature of point of sale marketing, have 
evolved into a variety of functional configurations. The most common 
package arrangement includes a blister container for supporting, in 
individual locations, each of the lug nuts in a side-by side pattern. This 
blister container has an outer rim which allows the blister container to 
be extended through a cut out or opening in a paperboard display panel or 
sheet in a fashion where the displayed set of lug nuts extends outwardly 
from the sheet. The rim of the container abuts the back side of the 
paperboard sheet around the periphery of the opening. A second paperboard 
sheet is glued to the first sheet to hold the blister container in a fixed 
location with respect to the total package. In this construction, the back 
sheet can contain substantial sales information regarding the type of lug 
nuts used on each car and/or information on the particular lug nuts in the 
package. In addition, the front sheet of paperboard surrounding the 
blister can contain point-of-sale information attracting the consumer to 
this particular set of lug nuts. An important feature of such a package is 
the substantial amount of paperboard material which can contain a 
substantial amount of descriptive, sales and informational data needed at 
the point-of-sale and associated with the package for the purposes of 
expediting mass marketing of lug nuts shipped and displayed by such 
packages. 
Another arrangement for accomplishing this purpose of displaying a set of 
lug nuts with detailed and substantial sales data involves two plastic 
sheets, the front one of which has integrally formed therewith an 
outwardly extending blister for housing the set of lug nuts. A paperboard 
sheet between the two plastic sheets contains, on the front face, the 
point-of-sale information necessary to attract a consumer to this 
particular product and, on the back face, information needed by the 
consumer in selecting a set of lug nuts and other information necessary 
for expediting the sale of the lug nuts contained in the package. 
In all of these blister packages for individual, finite, side-by-side 
consumer products, such as lug nuts, several disadvantages exist. These 
lug nuts are relatively heavy and only a few packages can be mounted on a 
display fixture involving a number of arms mounted in a cantilever fashion 
from a support wall, like a pegboard. Each successive package hung on the 
same cantilever arm exerts a magnified downward torque on the arm at its 
mounting position on the fixture. In addition, since the packages have an 
height generally equal to the height of the displayed lug nuts in the 
package, only a few packages can be mounted on a given cantilever arm, 
which usually has a length limited to approximately six inches. This short 
length assures that the torque applied by the support arm to the pegboard 
because of packages hanging on the arm is restricted. Thus, in many 
instances, only a few packages, of the type to which this invention is 
directed, can be supported on each support arm of the fixture. In mass 
marketing a product, such as a lug nut, it is essential that there be a 
large variety of lug nuts to accommodate the many vehicles which have been 
sold. Consequently, a large number of cantilever arms supporting many 
different lug nuts must be provided on the fixture for the purposes of 
mass marketing a total line of lug nuts. In view of this situation, it is 
not unusual to allow only a single arm on a fixture for a single type of 
lug nut. When shipping lug nuts to the retail outlet in packages 
heretofore used, a fixed number of packages was packed together in a 
shipping container or box. This fixed number of packages is often greater 
than the number of packages which can be mounted on a given arm of a 
display fixture; therefore, to maintain an adequate supply of packages 
visible and available to the customers, the stock personnel must continue 
to replace a few packages on each of the individual display arms. This 
involves maintaining an inventory of opened containers or boxes since the 
arms must be restocked before there is a need for a total number of 
packages contained in the normal supply carton or box shipped from the 
distributor to the retail outlet. All of these problems make displaying 
and marketing of a complete line of consumer products, such as lug nuts, 
quite expensive and requiring not only constant stock maintenance, but 
also substantial inventory which, in itself, increases cost and increases 
the propensity for the losing or misplacing of partially filled shipping 
boxes and pilferage of opened boxes containing lug nuts which have not yet 
been loaded onto the display fixture. 
THE PRESENT INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a novel and unique package for consumer 
products, such as lug nuts, which package overcomes the disadvantages 
discussed above with respect to mass marketing a total line of consumer 
products, such as lug nuts, in a fashion requiring display of several such 
products together with a package visibly displaying the product while 
containing sufficient paperboard area for point-of-sale marketing as well 
as data necessary to accommodate the sale of the products. 
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a generally 
flat reversible package for shipping and displaying, on a hanging fixture 
such as a pair of pegboard support arms, in either of two positions a 
finite number (N) of consumer products, each product of which has a 
circumventing volume with given dimensions of length, width and height. 
The reversible package for these products, such as lug nuts, comprises a 
front, generally flat, surface and a back generally flat surface. These 
surfaces lie in a plane adapted to be generally vertical when the package 
is placed on the fixture. Each of the surfaces has a vertically extending 
center line dividing the surfaces into side-by-side, vertically spaced 
first and second display segments. Means are provided for securing the 
front and back surfaces together to form the package with a total area. A 
self-sustaining blister container formed from transparent plastic is 
secured onto the front surface of the package in what has been referred to 
as the first display segment. This blister container has an "effective" 
length greater than N times one of the given dimensions of the product and 
a total volume to house N products in side-by-side relationship. This 
blister container can have a top which conforms to the individual products 
shape or a generally flat top defining a large volume sufficient to 
display the individual parts in some preselected pattern arranged on the 
first segment at one side of the center line of the package. This 
transparent blister container is fixed in a preselected location and 
occupies a given area of the aforementioned first display segment of the 
front surface. A cover means of some type, such as a paperboard sheet, is 
provided for preventing vision through the package over a majority of the 
total package area. In practice, this cover means is a sheet which covers 
the total area, except for the opening or cut out from which the container 
protrudes. On the back surface, this cover means or sheet extends over the 
total package surface. In accordance with the invention, there is provided 
a rear access means, in the form of an opening in the sheet forming the 
cover means, for allowing observation of at least one of the products in 
the container from a position behind the package. This access is provided 
by a hole in the cover means or sheet exposing one of the lug nuts or 
other product in the container on the front of the package. 
The novel package includes a blister occupying a position on the front 
surface and on one side of the center line. The rear access means or 
opening allows viewing one or more of the parts from the back of the 
package; therefore, in accordance with another aspect of the invention, a 
method of using this novel package is provided. The package has two hanger 
engaging slots centered on each of the side-by-side display segments with 
the center of the slot over the lug nut container generally aligned with 
the center of gravity of the contents of the container. This novel display 
method involves the steps of nesting two of the novel packages with the 
front surfaces facing each other so that the protruding blister, or 
transparent plastic container, of each package is located on opposite 
sides of the center line of the facing packages with the slots still 
aligned. The packages can thus be placed in parallel relationship with 
nesting at the front surface. By providing a novel rear access means, the 
product can be viewed from the back surface so that a consumer still 
realizes and appreciates the visual aspects of the product being sold. The 
method involves use of two support arms spaced horizontally to extend into 
the two slots of the nested packages. 
By using this package as discussed above, the product packages can be 
nested and shipped in the nested condition so that the total stack height 
is about one-half of the height of the products times the number of 
packages being shipped. In the past, the stack height was essentially the 
number of packages times the height of the individual lug nuts being 
shipped. By providing this novel reversible package with the nesting 
arrangement, twice as many packages can be mounted on the cantilever arms 
of a display fixture for selling several sizes and types of a total 
product line, such as a line of lug nuts. By using the present invention, 
the stocking personnel at the retail outlet can allow the packages on the 
display fixture to be depleted until a complete box of six nested lug nut 
packages is needed to fill the set of arms. These six packages can be 
removed from the shipping carton or box and placed on the arms, as a 
group, in the nested condition used to ship the packages. Thus, it is not 
necessary to break a shipping carton or box to load a few packages of a 
particular lug nut size or type onto the cantilever display arm, leaving 
the remainder of the packages in the shipping box for pilferage, damages 
or loss. 
By using the present invention, the height of stack of packages being 
shipped and/or displayed is reduced by nearly 50%. This increases the 
efficiency of bulk shipment and reduces the complexity of merchandising at 
the retail outlet. 
The primary object of the present invention is the provision of a package 
for selling a set of discrete products, which products require both visual 
display of the products and detailed sales information, such as sets of 
replacement and/or decorative lug nuts, where lug nuts fitting many 
automobiles must be displayed together, which package increases the 
efficiency of shipment, decreases the inventory problems, and allows more 
efficient and economical stocking and displaying of the products in the 
package at the point-of-sale. 
Another object of the invention is the provision of a package, as defined 
above, which package can be manufactured at essentially the same cost of 
existing packages for this same type product and still results in the 
advantages discussed above. 
Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of a package, 
including two sheets with a blister container on one sheet, referred to as 
the "front" sheet, and an opening or access to view at least one of the 
products from the other, or "back" sheet. 
These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the 
description utilizing the drawings described in the next section.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for the purpose of 
illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention only and not for the 
purpose of limiting same, FIGS. 1-4 show a package A for shipping and 
displaying a finite number (N), illustrated as N=5, of consumer products, 
such as lug nuts B sold in sets of four or five and each having its own 
circumventing volume. This volume is for definition purposes only and is 
used to indicate the general space occupied by each of the nuts B. This 
hypothetical volume has a length a for the lug nut B as illustrated in 
FIG. 3. In practice length a is in the range of 1.0-2.0 inches. The width 
b of the circumventing volume is the width of lug nut B as shown in FIG. 
2. This dimension is in the general range of 0.5-1.0 inches. The height c 
of the volume is the height of the lug nut which is generally the same as 
the width b. The lug nuts are generally symmetric polygons of hexagonal 
shape in cross-section as viewed from the end as shown in FIG. 2. Each of 
the individual lug nuts B occupies a preselected space defined as the 
circumventing volume and are displayed in side-by side relationship as 
best shown in FIG. 1. This type of product is sold on a pegboard or 
display fixture C by mounting several packages onto two cantilever arms D 
having, in practice, a length of approximately 6.0-8.0 inches and 
extending through openings or slots 160, 162 in package A. 
Package A includes a front paperboard sheet 10 and a back paperboard sheet 
12 bent from a single blank by folding along edge 14 and adhered together 
to form the package A. Front surface 20 of sheet 10 and back surface 22 of 
sheet 12 are provided with the necessary point of sale information and 
data necessary for identifying the particular lug nut set to be used and 
instructions regarding the use. Package A includes, for the purpose of 
defining the invention, a center line CL extending vertically midway 
between openings or slots 160, 162 and dividing front surface 20 into a 
first display segment to the right of the center line and a second display 
segment to the left of the center line. This center line is a construction 
line to explain that the lug nuts B, when in the package, are located on 
surface 20 at one side of the center line, i.e. they are mounted on the 
first display segment of surface 20 or sheet 10. The center line also 
divides surface 22 into a first display segment and a second display 
segment matching the first and second segments of front surface 20 when 
the sheets are bent along edge 14 and adhered together to assemble the 
sheets 10, 12 into package A. The sheets and, thus package A extends 
generally along plane P, as shown in FIG. 1. This plane is generally 
vertical in orientation and is orthogonal to the center line of mounting 
arms D extending outwardly from pegboard or support wall C. Sheet 10 is 
provided with an opening or cut out 30 in the first display segment at the 
right side of center line CL, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. This opening has 
a shape to receive a transparent, or clear plastic, blister container 40 
having parallel side walls 42, 44 and parallel end walls 46, 48 spaced 
apart a distance d, referred to as "effective length" of the container. 
Container 40 receives a selected number, N, of individual lug nuts B as 
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. N equals 5 in the illustrated embodiment. The 
effective length d is selected to accommodate the number of lug nuts 
displayed at front surface 20 by container 40. Of course, the container 
could have an outer profile matching the individual lug nuts; however, in 
the preferred embodiment the container has a generally flat top wall 49 
parallel to surface 20 and is generally rectangular in configuration. Each 
end of the container is tapered by inclined walls 52, 54. As so far 
described, package A supports a fixed number of lug nuts B in container 40 
extending through opening 30. This container has an outer peripheral 
flange 50 larger in dimension than opening 30 to provide a border around 
opening 30 for supporting the container in the fixed relationship 
extending outwardly from surface 20 a distance generally matching the 
height c of the individual lug nuts B. 
After blister container 40 is loaded with lug nuts B, back sheet 12 is 
folded along edge 14 to close the back of the container 40, thus capturing 
the lug nuts in package A. In accordance with an aspect of the invention, 
back sheet 12 has a means for viewing a lug nut in container 40 from 
behind the package. This means is an opening 100 with a size generally 
matching the rear projected profile of a single lug nut B and is aligned 
with one of the lug nuts B when sheets 10 and 12 are adhered to each other 
in vertical plane P. Clear plastic blank 110 is larger than opening 100 to 
provide an outwardly extending support area or flange 112 for securing the 
clear or transparent plastic blank 110 over opening 100. In this way, one 
of the products i.e. a lug nut, in container 40 can be seen from back 
surface 22. Consequently, package A is reversible. The displayed products 
can be viewed from either front surface 20 or from the back surface 22 at 
the point-of-sale. Irrespective of the orientation on cantilever arms D, 
the actual product is visible to the consumer passing by the support wall 
or pegboard C in the retail outlet. 
By providing the package A with the novel features so far described, the 
package is reversible and can be used in accordance with a novel method, 
best explained in relationship to FIGS. 5-7. Two packages A can be nested 
together by bringing the packages into parallel alignment with the 
respective front sheets 10 facing each other, as shown in FIGS. 6-7. In 
this manner, the packages nest together with openings 160, 162 alternately 
aligned. Nested packages with opening or slot 160 of one package over 
opening or slot 162 of the adjacent package, and vice versa, can be 
shipped and assembled onto arms D for the purpose of display. Two nested 
packages have an overall stack height h of about one-half the height of 
two packages heretofore used in distributing lug nuts. This is shown in 
FIG. 6. Generally six packages of each type lug is shipped in a single box 
or container. This carton has a height of approximately three inches in 
accordance with the present invention and six inches in accordance with 
use of the prior type packaging. A pack is illustrated as the group G of 
packages A at the right of FIG. 6. This figure depicts a pegboard C having 
a front exposed surface 120 and many sets of horizontally spaced generally 
cylindrical support holes 122, 124. Each arm D includes an outwardly 
extending support 130 with an outboard, upwardly inclined stop 132. A 
short downwardly extending bar 134 engages surface 120. A welded U-shaped 
bracket F has arms 140, 142 extending through holes 122, 124, 
respectively. Rear bars 150, 152 extend vertically a short distance 
upwardly as shown along the back of pegboard C. 
When the relatively compact set of six packages are removed from the 
shipping carton or box and placed upon arms D, they fit closely adjacent 
the rear support wall of pegboard C so that a large number of packages can 
be displayed. This is shown as the six packages to the left of line H in 
FIG. 7. This is made possible by the orientation of the blister container 
40 on front surface 20, as well as the rear access opening 100 allowing 
visual exposure of one lug nut B from rear surface 12. Irrespective of the 
arrangement of the package on cantilever arms D, the product, or lug nut 
B, can be viewed. In addition, substantial surface is provided for 
advertising material on surface 20, except for cut out or opening 30. A 
substantial amount of detailed information can also be provided on the 
exposed portion of back surface 22 except for the opening or cut out 100. 
Referring again to FIG. 6, group G is employed for the purpose of 
restocking the particular lug nut B when a single package A remains on 
horizontally spaced cantilever arms D as shown at the left of FIG. 6. 
After the six packages have been removed from the carton, the package on 
the right labeled package A' is moved from its right nested position to 
the left position so that the forwardly protruding blister or container 40 
is oriented to nest with the remaining package A on arms D. Then the group 
G is moved in unison as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 6 to the nested 
position shown in FIG. 7. In this manner, when a single package remains, a 
total of six nested packages can be assembled onto pegboard for the 
purpose of reloading the depleted supply of products for display and sale. 
The unnested package A' leaves its companion package A" exposed in carton 
40 extending outwardly as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. When this carton is 
sold, the customer will see a back sheet 12 in the next package and can 
view only a single lug nut through rear access means 100 previously 
mentioned. When that package is sold, then a full group of lug nuts will 
be exposed. Of course, since many lug nuts are displayed at the same time 
on pegboard C, some of the packages will undoubtedly have their front face 
exposed while the others have their back face exposed. This will give a 
complete picture so that a consumer knows exactly what lug nuts are 
available. By this nesting arrangement, about twice as many packages can 
be mounted on a pegboard. This provides a lesser downward torque on 
cantilever arms D since torque 1s measured by both weight and distance 
from support surface 120. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the openings or slots 
160, 162 are provided with upwardly extending indentations 164, 166, 
respectively. In this manner, arms D nest in the respective indentations 
164, 166 for viewing the products irrespective of the orientation of the 
package. As shown in FIGS. 5-7, for the slots 160, 162 and their 
indentations 164, 166 to fit on the two support arms 130 of the fixture C 
in either of the reversible nested positions of the packages A thereon, 
they must be located the same distance and thus symmetric with the center 
line CL of the package A. In accordance with the illustrated embodiment, 
openings or slots 160, 162 also include outwardly faced indentations 170, 
172 and 174, 176 for the purpose of accommodating certain cantilever arms 
which include two outwardly extending support bars 130. Slot 160 is 
generally aligned with the center of gravity (c.gr.) of the loaded package 
so that the weight of the lug nuts B of the package is generally directly 
downward from indentation 164 for balancing purposes. By employing the 
novel reversible package in accordance with the present invention, a novel 
method is provided for shipping, storing and displaying a total line of 
products such as lug nuts which require a large variety of types and sizes 
to be displayed in separate groups to accommodate the desires and 
vicissitudes of the customer demands. 
Since the weight of package A is concentrated in the display segment to the 
right of center line CL, slot 160 can support package A in a vertically 
upright position. Consequently, it is possible to eliminate slot or 
opening 162 as long as clearance is provided in this area for the second 
cantilever arm D. This concept is illustrated in FIG. 1 wherein the 
phantom line 180 illustrates the section of the package to the left of the 
center line being removed so that the package is supported completely by 
arm D extending through slot 160. This modification is mentioned only for 
the purposes of delineating the scope of the invention although it is 
preferred to provide the two slots 160, 162 as illustrated in the 
embodiments of the invention. 
A modification of the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated 
in FIG. 9 wherein a reversible package A', constructed in accordance with 
the present invention, is formed by plastic sheet 200 formed from a 
transparent or clear plastic material and including a front section 210 
and a back section 212 joined at lower folding edge 214. In accordance 
with this modification, blister container 222 is integrally formed with 
front section 210 of plastic sheet 200 to perform the functions ascribed 
to container 40 in the preferred package A. Sales information and sales 
data for package A' is printed on paperboard blank, or sheet 230 having 
front surface 232 and back surface 234. The rear access means for viewing 
a single lug from the back side or surface 234 is a cut out or opening 240 
in paperboard blank 230 which is aligned with a single lug nut B in the 
forwardly facing, integral blister container 222. With the printed 
paperboard blank or sheet 230 placed between sections 210, 212, these 
sections are brought together and adhered either with an adhesive or by 
heat sealing. By constructing sheet 230 smaller than sections 210, 212 a 
border remains around the paperboard blank when it is sandwiched between 
the plastic sheets. Thus, an heat sealable outer rim remains around the 
paperboard blank. 
In accordance with a modification of the invention, the opening or cut out 
240 could be extended, as indicated by the phantom 250, to provide rear 
visual access to more than one lug nut B. As a further modification, it 
would be possible to provide a paperboard front surface or sheet, as used 
in the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, and a clear plastic 
back sheet. This arrangement would expose all lug nuts from the back 
surface of the package, since container 40 of package A would be closed 
only by a plastic sheet. It is preferred that only a single lug nut be 
viewed from the back to accommodate the need for a substantial amount of 
printed information on the back of the package. In this fashion, the 
consumer can view the actual product, if either the back surface or the 
front surface is exposed. 
When the packages are nested in accordance with the present invention, 
after a package has been removed, the next package has the opposite 
surface facing the consumer. Each surface can contain sales concepts to 
attract a consumer, while obtaining the benefit of each position on 
pegboard or display fixture C accommodating essentially twice as many 
packages. Thus, when one or two packages are on the arms D a full box of 
nested packages can be unpacked and loaded onto the display arms D. In the 
past, even when all the packages had been removed, it was difficult to 
load a full stack of new packages.