Cap display package

A display container for caps having transparent panels. The package frame is constructed from a single blank of sheet material, which has been cut to allow folding into a rectangular box with a protruding vertical rear double panel. The dimensions of the box are designed to accomodate a cap (headwear worn by men and women) such that the bill of the cap fits securely within the rear double panel. A large window space is cut out of the box and rear double panel and is covered with a transparent plastic material. The display package completely contains the cap and also prominantly displays the front and the bill of the cap.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to visual display packages and, more particularly, to 
visual display packages designed to display caps (headwear worn by men and 
women). Visual display packages are necessary for many reasons. First, it 
is necessary to package the caps to prevent them from being damaged or 
soiled during their transportation, storage and display. While ordinary 
square cardboard boxes or other types of packages fulfill these functions, 
they often frustrate the potential purchaser's desire to examine the cap. 
Packages which are entirely opaque discourage purchases and require the 
purchaser or sales person to open the package and remove the cap if the 
purchaser is to be allowed to examine the cap. When this is done, the cap 
is no longer protected and may become soiled or damaged so that subsequent 
potential purchasers will prefer not to buy the cap. Further, such 
packages are commonly constructed from inexpensive materials, such as 
cardboard, and constant opening and closing of the packages leads to 
unsightly wear and tear or even destruction of the packages. 
Alternatively, the caps can be permanently taken out of such packages and 
placed upon a display table or counter. This raises the possibility of the 
caps being spoiled by the customer. Furthermore, there is a limited number 
of ways in which unpackaged caps can be effectively displayed. An 
effective means of both protecting and storing the product, but still 
allowing the potential customer to examine the product, is needed. 
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
The packaging technique which is generally utilized to deal with the above 
problems is that of visual display packages. A wide variety of cardboard 
or paper boxes have been produced in which the front or other portions of 
the package are cut away to form a window. These windows are typically, 
although not necessarily, covered with a transparent plastic-like material 
which both protects the product and allows the consumer to inspect it. 
These containers come in many shapes and sizes. Normally, however, they 
basically utilize a square or rectangular design. This design is 
encouraged by the simplicity of fashioning such containers from a single 
sheet of cardboard and by the ease of stacking such containers upon each 
other. Zeitter, U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,221, discloses a simple, rectangular 
box having a window covered with a transparent film. While this design is 
effective for transporting and storage, it is not particularly well 
adapted to modern marketing display techniques. Boxes, such as those 
disclosed by Koltz, U.S. Pat. No. 3,904,029, and Palmer, U.S. Pat. No. 
3,273,702, disclose improvements or variations upon the box-like structure 
of Zeitter. Both Palmer and Koltz contain rear display panels. These 
panels may be used for many purposes. They provide a convenient place for 
attaching the packages to display racks as is shown by the hole in Koltz. 
Furthermore, such rear display panels may be profitably used to advertise 
the product. Fairbairn, U.S. Pat. No. 3,358,820, discloses a slightly 
different way of visually displaying the product. Fairbairn completely 
encases the product between a transparent outer film and a cardboard base 
and back. 
None of the visual display packages discussed, however, are designed to 
efficiently accomodate caps. They are all basically minor variations of 
the typical rectangular container with an aperture covered by a 
transparent film for visual examination of the contents. While they may 
efficiently display rectangular objects, they are ill-suited to the 
display of caps. 
In order to store a single cap without crushing it, two types of storage 
areas must be provided. The crown of the cap may be stored within a square 
or rectangular box without an inordinate amount of wasted space. The bill 
of the cap, however, being a long, flat, wide projection which is attached 
to the crown, makes storage in a rectangular type box impractical. Even 
the most efficient design of rectangular boxes would waste far too much 
space within the box to be practical. In fact, to store a cap in a 
rectangular box would require approximately twice as much interior space 
than a close fitting sack would require to encompass the same cap. 
Besides being impractical, a rectangular box does not efficiently display a 
cap. The ornamentation upon a cap typically consists of a colored bill and 
a medallion or design upon the front of the crown. Because the front of 
the crown and the top of the bill are perpendicular to each other, it is 
practically impossible to properly display a cap from within a rectangular 
box. No matter how the cap is arranged within the rectangular box, neither 
the bill of the cap nor the front of the crown can be placed directly 
adjacent to a transparent window for close inspection. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention utilizes a design for a visual display package which 
is novel to the visual display package art. As is typical with present 
visual display packages, a rectangular box constructed from a cardboard 
sheet and transparent plastic material is used. The present invention 
discloses a visual display package design containing a flat, double-walled 
enclosure with a display window thereon as an integral part of the 
otherwise rectangular visual display package. 
It is the object of the present invention to provide a visual display 
package for caps which will efficiently display the cap contained therein. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a visual display 
package which contains a cap with a minimum amount of wasted interior 
space. 
It is yet another object of the present invention to produce a visual 
display package having the foregoing advantages and yet capable of being 
simply and cheaply manufactured from a single sheet of cardboard-like 
material and a smaller sheet of transparent material. The packages must be 
relatively simple to set up, be filled, and closed so as to enable them to 
be used in conjunction with assembly line methods. 
It is yet another object of the present invention to produce a visual 
display package which provides as an integral portion thereof a hang tag 
or display card by which the package and cap may be advantageously 
displayed. 
A further object of the present invention is to provide a package which 
gives satisfactory protection to the cap at all times. 
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a package 
which is easily handled and stored.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown an assembled visual 
display package 9. The frame 10 may be composed of cardboard or a 
cardboard-like sheet material and is generally shaped into a lower 
rectangular portion 12 and an upper flat portion 14. A window 48 is shown 
as being cut from both the lower rectangular portion 12 and the upper flat 
portion 14. A transparent material 49, such as plastic or a cellulose base 
material, may be affixed within the frame 10 so as to entirely cover the 
window portion 48 of the frame 10. 
Alternatively, the frame 10 may be composed of any material suitable for 
constructing a visual display package 9 of the type described herein. 
Further, it may not always be necessary to use a transparent material 49 
to cover the window 48. In some circumstances, for example, it may be 
desirable to allow the purchaser to touch the contents of the visual 
display package 9. These types of options will be discussed in further 
detail after the basic visual display package 9 has been described. 
Referring to FIG. 2 of the drawings, it is seen that a main cavity 6 and a 
projecting cavity 5 are present within the visual display package 9. The 
crown of a cap 7 fits securely within main cavity 6 and the bill 8 of the 
cap 7 fits securely within the projecting cavity 5. Thus it is shown that 
a complete cap may be fitted within the visual display package 9. 
It is to be understood throughout that the direction "lower" will mean 
toward the base of the visual display package 9. The terms "right" and 
"left" will be determined from the point of view of a person facing the 
visual display package and located directly behind the rear panel 11 of 
the assembled visual display package 9. 
Referring to FIG. 3 of the drawings, there is shown an unassembled visual 
display package 9. The visual display package 9 is basically composed of 
the frame 10 and a transparent sheet material 49. A window 48 is cut from 
the frame 10 and is located as shown in FIG. 3. Subsequently, transparent 
material 49 is affixed to frame 10 in a manner which will cover the window 
48 in the frame 10. The transparent material 49 is normally affixed to the 
inner side of the frame 10. 
It is seen that the frame 10 is composed of a flat sheet-like material 
having a generally rectangular shape. Base panel 45 is separated from the 
main body of the frame 10 by base panel fold line 93. The base panel 45 
additionally consists of a base flap 47. The base flap 47 is somewhat 
tapered at each transverse side and is separated by base flap fold line 95 
from the main body of the base panel 45. 
The lower front panel 35 is adjacent to base panel 45 and is separated 
therefrom by base panel fold line 93. Two front flaps 37 and 39 are 
attached to the lower front panel 35, one to each transverse side of the 
lower front panel 35 as is shown in FIG. 3. Lower front panel 35 is 
connected to left front flap 37 by left front flap fold line 85, and is 
connected to right front flap 39 by right front flap fold line 87. The 
left front flap 37 contains a cut 89, and the right front flap 39 contains 
a cut 91. Lower front panel 35 is connected to right upper front panel 25 
and left upper front panel 23 by fold lines 83 and 81, respectively. 
The left upper front panel 23 is connected to a left side panel 27 by left 
side panel fold line 69. The main body of left side panel 27 is connected 
to a left side panel flap 31 by fold line 73. Similarly, right upper front 
panel 25 is connected by a fold line 71 to right side panel 29, which in 
turn is connected by fold line 75 to a right panel flap 33. Small locking 
cuts 77 and 79 are made upon fold lines 73 and 75, respectively. The 
locking cuts 77 and 79 are located upon the outer ends of fold lines 73 
and 75. 
A face panel 21 is connected to right upper front panel 25 and left upper 
front panel 23 by fold lines 65 and 67, respectively. The opposite edge of 
the face panel 21 is connected to a rear panel 11 by means of a fold line 
63. A left rear flap 13 and right rear flap 15 are attached to rear panel 
11 by means of fold lines 55 and 57, respectively. Left rear flap 13 and 
right rear flap 15 contain cuts 59 and 61, respectively, located as shown 
in FIG. 3. 
Referring to the flaps 37, 39, 13 and 15, it is seen in FIG. 3 that all 
appear to be roughly square with the exception of having a major portion 
of one side shaved off. The small remaining unshaved portion of each flap, 
locking edges 100, 101, 102, and 104 located as indicated in FIG. 3 are 
useful in constructing the visual display package 9 as will be explained 
below. 
Window 48 is cut from the interior of the frame 10 and is located as shown 
in FIG. 3. Window 48 separates the upper front panel into a left upper 
front panel 23 and a right upper front panel 25, and carves a substantial 
portion out of face panel 21. 
To construct the visual display package 9 from the frame 10 as described 
above, the first step is to affix base flap 47 to the bottom of rear panel 
11. This can be seen by referring to FIG. 2. This may be accomplished by a 
number of methods, gluing or stapling being the most common. Upon 
connecting the two far ends of the frame 10, the base flap 47 and the rear 
panel 11, it is seen that the frame 10 may be readily folded into the 
configuration shown in FIG. 2. It is only necessary to press the face 
panel 21 against the rear panel 11 and the general configuration desired 
results. Lower front panel 35, face panel 21, and rear panel 11 are each 
vertical and parallel to each other. Base panel 45, left upper front panel 
23, and right upper front panel 25 are each horizontal and parallel to 
each other. As may be seen by observing FIGS. 1 and 2, a large main cavity 
6 is thus formed between base panel 45, lower front panel 35, upper front 
panels 23 and 25, and rear panel 11. Additionally, a projecting cavity 5 
is formed between rear panel 11 and face panel 21. This projecting cavity 
5 is flat and narrow. Due to one of its parallel walls, the rear panel 11, 
being an extension of a wall from the lower rectangular portion 12, the 
projecting cavity 5 is necessarily parallel to the back wall of the main 
cavity 6. It is seen in FIG. 2, therefore, that the crown of a cap 7 may 
comfortably rest within the main cavity 6 and the bill 8 of the cap 7 may 
fit securely within projecting cavity 5 with a minimum of wasted space. 
Because fold lines 95, 93, 81, 67 and 65, have been added to the frame 10 
prior to shaping it into a visual display package 9, the various angles 
made at the junctures of the various panels may be made approximately 
45.degree. and a clean box-like appearance presented. Preexisting fold 
line 63 makes it possible to fold face panel 21 and rear panel 11 into a 
close parallel relationship without a protruding budge being created near 
the axis of the fold. 
Left front fold 37 and left rear fold 13 are shown in FIG. 2 prior to their 
having been acted upon. When left front fold 37 and left rear fold 13 are 
both bent in toward the center of the visual display package 9, it becomes 
possible to insert the left front fold 37 within the cut 59 of the left 
rear fold 55. Likewise, it is possible to insert the left rear fold 55 
within cut 89 of left front fold 37. These insertions are accomplished 
simultaneously by forcing the two flaps together so that the cut of each 
fold fits within the cut of the opposite fold. This is accomplished by 
temporarily pushing fold lines 83 and 38 inward toward fold base flap 47 
so that left front flap 37 is forced below left rear flap 13. By 
performing the above described operations upon the visual display package 
9 as shown in FIG. 2, it can be seen that flaps 37 and 13 can thus be 
joined together. Left front flap 37 and left rear fold 13 are thus 
securely interlocked with each other. 
The same type of operation is undertaken to interlock the right front fold 
39 with the left rear fold 11. Cuts 91 and 61 upon the righthand folds 
are, however, located upon the opposite edge of their respective right 
folds 39 and 11 than cuts 89 and 59 were to their respective left folds 37 
and 13. The process of interlocking upon the right side is thus the 
inverse of the one used upon the left side. Fold line 93 is temporarily 
pushed inward toward fold lines 67 and 69 so that the right rear flap 11 
is forced below right front flap 39. 
When all of the folds are thus interlocked together, the visual display 
package 9 independently retains its box-like structure as shown in FIGS. 2 
and 1. Because the inverse motions needed to assemble the visual display 
package 9, it is extremely unlikely that it will collapse. 
After the flaps have all been secured, the left side panel 27 as shown in 
FIG. 2 may be moved into position. The left side panel flap 31 is inserted 
between the locking edges 100 and 102 of the left flaps 37 and 13, 
respectively, and the upper portion of the base panel 45. The left side 
panel cuts 77 engage upon the locking edges 100 and 102 of the left flaps 
and thereby secure the left side panel 27. Thus secured, the left side 
panel 27 provides an additional means of retaining the left flaps 37 and 
13 interlocked with each other and adds additional stability to the visual 
display package 9. Left side panel 27 also provides the visual display 
package 9 with a more pleasing outer appearance by hiding the interlocked 
left flaps 37 and 13 from the public view. Right side panel 29 is 
positioned over the right side flaps 39 and 15, and the right side panel 
cuts 79 engaged upon locking edges 101 and 103 in exactly the same manner. 
The result of the above operations is a visual display package 9 of the 
configuration shown in FIG. 1. The box can be additionally secured by 
either gluing or stapling the outer edges of the face panel 21 to the 
outer edges of rear panel 11. It is not anticipated that this will be 
necessary, however. The transparent material 49 used to cover the window 
48 is flexible enough to have survived the above manipulations of the 
frame 10 to which it is attached without damage. 
FIG. 4 shows modified visual display package 9a which is similar to the 
visual display package 9 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 shows the modified frame 
10a used to construct the modified visual display package 6. Referring to 
FIG. 5, it is seen that the rear panel 11, base panel 45, flaps 37, 13, 39 
and 15, and the side panels 27 and 29 are identical to those shown in FIG. 
3. The face panel 21a is different from base panel 21 only in the manner 
in which the window 48a has been cut from it. The upper front panels 5a 
and 3a are identical to the upper front panels 25 and 23 of FIG. 3 with 
the exception that the configuration of window 48a is cut from them in a 
different manner than the window 48 of FIG. 3. 
A left lower front panel 36 and a right lower front panel 34 have been 
created from previous lower front panel 35 by extending window 48a through 
the full width of the lower front panel 35. The window 48a as shown in 
modified frame 10a extends from bottom panel fold line 93 in a straight 
line until it reaches the upper portion of face panel 21a at which point 
it curves as shown and returns by a straight line to base panel fold line 
93. 
An additional difference between visual display package 9 and modified 
visual display package 9a is that the modified visual display package 9a 
additionally contains a display rack punchout 104 as shown in FIG. 4. 
Referring to FIG. 5, it is seen that the display rack punchout 104 is 
formed by cutting corresponding display rack punchout holes 105 and 106 in 
face panel 21 and rear panel 11, respectively, both holes being an equal 
distance from fold line 63 and arranged to correspond with each other. 
Either the visual display package 9 or the modified visual display package 
9a may be used. The major advantage of modified visual display package 9a 
is that window 48 of modified visual display package 9a is larger than 
window 48 of visual display package 9 and thus more prominantly features 
the cap within the package. The major advantage of visual display package 
9, on the other hand, is that by retaining a single continuous lower front 
panel 35, a sturdier and longer lasting package is produced than that of 
modified visual display package 9a. 
It is thus seen that a novel means of visually displaying caps from within 
these storage containers has been shown. Tens of thousands of caps are 
sold yearly in the United States alone and numerous companies make 
packages for storing and displaying caps. The applicant is unaware of any 
of these components in the highly competitive packaging industry ever 
suggesting or using a visual display package 9 of the type described 
above.