Patent Publication Number: US-6712210-B1

Title: Novelty date package

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to the field of food packaging, and more particularly to a novelty date package. 
     Dried dates have been a popular and nutritional form of fruit for thousands of years. Dates are traditionally packaged in plastic boxes or poly bags or sold loosely and packaged by the purchaser and placed in a bag or box. Although these means of packaging dates are quite adequate, they do not impart any other meaning or quality other than the convenient transport of the dates. They also do not separate the dates thereby increasing the chance of bruising the dates during transport. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of the invention is to provide a novelty package for dried dates that individually positions and retains the dates on a series of stepped platforms. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a novelty package for dried dates where each date is individually wrapped in a sleeve, each sleeve having a graphic image of a person. 
     Another object of the invention is to take advantage of the play on words between a date as defined by a fruit product and a date as defined as two people going out together. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. 
     Novelty Date Package comprising: a series of stepped platforms forming a base for a package, each said platform having a plurality of recesses capable of removably retaining the lower portion of a date, a date retaining member for preventing the side to side motion of the dates on each platform, a laminated plastic and paper sleeve that surrounds the front and side portions of each date, each said sleeve having a printed image of a person, each said sleeve partially covering the front each date so that the sides and top of each date are visible, a removable and replaceable clear cover that slips over said stepped platform base that helps protect and retain said dates, and a graphic card member that covers a portion of the top, bottom and sides of said date package. 
     The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the date package of the present invention, 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the date package of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner. 
     Referring now to FIG. 1 we see a perspective view of the date package  100  of the present invention. Stepped base  6  can be made of thin plastic by vacuum forming or can be die cut from paperboard material or the like. A plurality of circular depressions  8  help retain dates  20 , each of which is wrapped in a die cut laminated paper graphic depicting a person  10 . Characters such as “surfer Dan”  10  give the date a human persona. In this way the date takes on two properties, one as a food and another as a person to go out with. This novelty package  100  is meant to be humorous and to be given as a gift to someone who may have a hard time getting a real date, meaning someone to go out with. Another application of the present invention involves taking photo&#39;s of real people and reducing them to fit around a date in the same way that pre printed characters  10  and others are used. For example, a high school football team may take photos of the teams football players and the teams cheer leaders. These photos can then be reduced and formatted with attachment tabs so that they can be wrapped around edible dates. The team can then sell the dates to raise money for the team. Clear plastic cover  4  protects and helps retain the dates  10 . Retaining member  12  prevents the dates from falling sideways. Graphic panel  2  adds to the packaging by providing space for printing descriptive language. Graphic panel  2  starts at the top of the package and then proceeds down the rear of the package and then proceeds under the base  6  and terminates at the lower front  7 . The graphic panel  2  is held in place by clear cover  2 . FIG. 2 shows a clear view of the components of the present invention  100 . Base  6  is stepped and includes a plurality of circular recesses  8 . Dates  20  fit into the recesses  8 . Graphic wrap  10  fits over each date  20 . Retaining member  12  is situated behind each level of dates and keep the dates from falling over. Clear cover  4  slips over base  6  and helps retain dates  20 . Graphic panel  2  is not shown in this view for purposes of clarity. 
     The above description and illustrations show that the present invention is a novel way to package and display dates so that the dates appear as little people that can be considered as potential dates for the owner of the date package. Additionally, the package design of the present invention helps to protect the dates from bruising during transport. 
     While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.