Abstract:
A contact lens package has a body with a lens receptacle therein covered by a hinged lid. The lid is offset on the body such that a ledge is formed by the base and an overhang by the lid. The ledge has a plurality of upstanding lugs that insert into mating receptacles formed in the overhang of an adjacent contact lens package, permitting the ganging of packages together for functional and aesthetic reasons.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a non-provisional filing of U.S. Ser. No. 60/666,796, filed on Mar. 31, 2005, a provisional patent application. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to contact lens packages and, more particularly, to such packages that are stored and displayed in groups.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Contact lenses have become increasingly popular and due to reductions in manufacturing costs, disposable contact lenses are now an attractive, economical choice for the consuming public. Such lenses may be frequently replaced by consumers (e.g., on a daily or weekly basis) and do not need to be cleaned or sterilized as often as traditional contact lenses. Of course, the consumer must keep a supply of lenses on hand that is commensurate with the frequency with which the lenses are replaced. Consumer demand for disposable contact lenses has led to a need for disposable packaging that is easy to use and inexpensive. The packages should be constructed to provide safe storage and shipping for the lenses, yet provide ready access to the lenses when they are needed by the consumer. It is also desirable that the individual packages be as small as possible, so that they may be easily stored and carried.  
         [0004]     Soft contact lenses are typically packaged and stored in a storage solution. One widely-used contact lens package is the “blister pack,” which has a rigid plastic container with a flat upper surface and a concave-shaped well that contains a single contact lens with a quantity of storage solution. The lens is retained in the well by a cover sealed along the perimeter of the upper surface of the well. The blister packs are boxed for shipping and storage. When a lens is needed, the consumer peels back the flexible cover from the blister pack to expose the contact lens, pours the lens out into his or her hand, and places the lens on the tip of the finger for application to the eye. It remains an objective to improve contact lens packages to make them easier to use, store and display.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The disadvantages and shortcomings of the prior art contact lens packages are overcome in accordance with the present invention by providing a new and improved contact lens package which can be conjoined with at least one other contact lens package to form a “ganged” grouping of packages. More particularly, the contact lens package of the present invention includes a base having a lens receptacle therein and a lid for covering and sealing the lens receptacle. The configuration of the base and the lid define a base ledge having lugs that upwardly extend from a top surface of the ledge and a lid overhang having lug receptacles formed in a surface thereof, each of the lug receptacles being adapted to receive a lug of another similar or dissimilar contact lens package. The configuration of the contact lens package allows it to be interconnected with at least two other contact lens packages, thereby allowing a “ganged” grouping of interconnecting packages for storage and retail display.  
         [0006]     Specifically, the contact lens package has been adapted for use in housing a single contact lens and an amount of contact lens solution. However, the contact lens package can be utilized to house a plurality of contact lenses and contact lens solution therefor. Further features and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on a reading of the detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention, which is given below by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0007]     For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description of an exemplary embodiment considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a pair of conjoined contact lens packages in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0009]      FIGS. 2 and 3  are exploded views of the contact lens packages of  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of one of the contact lens packages shown in  FIGS. 1-3  with a lid employed by the package in an open position. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  shows an array or “ganged” grouping  10  of contact lens packages  12   a ,  12   b . Each of the contact lens packages  12   a ,  12   b  has a square-shaped base  14  and a square-shaped lid  16 . The base  14  and the lid  16  are laterally off-set with each other and define a rectangular-shaped base ledge  18  and a rectangular-shaped lid overhang  20 . A pair of conical-shaped lugs  22  extends upwardly from the base ledge  18  of each of the contact lens packages  12   a ,  12   b . Each of the packages  12   a ,  12   b  has indentations  23  for receiving the fingers of a user to aid in opening the lid  16  from a closed position relative to the base  14 .  
         [0012]     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the lid overhang  20  of each of the contact lens packages  12   a ,  12   b  has a pair of conical-shaped lug receptacles  24  each of which receives a corresponding one of the lugs  22  extending from the base ledge  18  of another of the contact lens packages  12   a ,  12   b . In this manner, for instance, the packages  12   a ,  12   b  can be conjoined side-by-side with the lid overhang  20  of the package  12   a  extending over the base ledge  18  of the adjacent contact lens package  12   b , while the package  12   b  and a package  12   c  can be conjoined side-by-side with the lid overhang  20  of the package  12   b  extending over the base ledge  18  of the adjacent contact lens package  12   c , and so on (see  FIG. 3 ). It should be appreciated that the conjoined adjacent contact lens packages  12   a ,  12   b ,  12   c  “nest” in that the void defined by the base ledge  18  relative to the upper surface of the lid  16  accepts the lid overhang  20  such that the overall thickness or height of the conjoined packages  12   a ,  12   b ,  12   c  does not exceed that of a single package (see  FIG. 3 ). If the lugs  22  and the lug receptacles  24  are positioned as shown, the depth (measured from front to back) of the conjoined packages  12   a ,  12   b ,  12   c  also does not exceed that of a single package.  
         [0013]     The adjacent contact lens packages  12   a ,  12   b  are retained in conjunction by virtue of a snap or friction fit established between the lugs  22  and the lug receptacles  24 . The lugs  22  may be singular or plural and, preferably, there is one-to-one correspondence of the receptacles  24  to the lugs  22 . Preferably, the relative dimensions of the lugs  22  and receptacles  24  are such that the force to connect and disconnect the contact lens packages  12   a ,  12   b  is readily accomplished by the unaided hand of a consumer. As can be appreciated by reviewing  FIG. 3 , a hand or finger placed upon the contact tens package  12   b  would facilitate the removal of the contact lens package  12   a  therefrom, and a hand or finger placed upon the contact lens package  12   c  would facilitate removal of the contact lens package  12   b  therefrom, and so on.  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  shows the contact lens package  12   a  with the lid  16  in an open position. Preferably, the lid  16  and the base  14  are conjoined by a hinge  26 , e.g., an integral plastic or “living” hinge. The base  14  has a circular-shaped lens well  28  therein for containing a contact lens  29  and any storage or wetting solution (e.g., saline solution) that is required. The lens well  28  is sealed by a circular-shaped well seal  30  which peripherally surrounds the well  28  and establishes a water-tight seal between the lid  16  and the base  14  when the lid  16  is in its closed position. The well seal  30  may be formed by a sealant, an elastomer, a deformable ring monolithically formed with the base  14  or the lid  16 , or any other conventional mechanism. Additional water-tight seals  34   a ,  34   b  may be provided proximate to the periphery of the lid  16 . The additional seals  34   a ,  34   b  may also be utilized to evidence tampering and thus warn the consumer that any of the packages  12   a ,  12   b  had been opened previously. It is preferred that the contact lens packages  12   a ,  12   b  in accordance with the present invention be made from plastic by injection molding, blow molding or other conventional processes for making plastic packaging.  
         [0015]     While the base  14  and the lid  16  are each, preferably, square in shape, it should be noted that each can consist of other shapes and sizes. In addition, while the base ledge  18  and the overhang  20  are each, preferably, rectangular in shape, each can consist of other shapes and sizes. Also, each of the lugs  22  and each of the lug receptacles  24  are, preferably, conical in shape, but each can consist of other shapes and sizes. In addition, each of the lens well  28  and the well seal  30  are, preferably, circular in shape, but each can consist of other shapes and sizes.  
         [0016]     As can be appreciated from the foregoing, the present invention permits the physical grouping of the contact lens packages  12   a ,  12   b  in accordance with a logical plan, for example, to connect all contact lens packages holding contact lenses of a particular prescription strength together in one row (i.e., in seriatim fashion). Alternatively, the present invention may be utilized to connect the packages  12   a ,  12   b  into groups for aesthetic or consumer presentation purposes, for example, to retain the contact lens packages  12   a ,  12   b  in orderly rows such that the display is aesthetically pleasing and facilitates the consumer to rapidly select the particular contact lens strength that they require.  
         [0017]     It should be understood that the embodiment described herein is merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art may make many variations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.