Patent Publication Number: US-2021179315-A1

Title: Storage and display container

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/946,817 filed Dec. 11, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Product packaging can play a large part in the attractiveness and appeal of products. This may hold especially true with consumable products, where the consumer wants to see at least a representation of the original nature of the product they ingest. This may inform them about the quality and other characteristics of the product&#39;s original ingredients. 
     However, most product packages do not provide a convenient mechanism to provide both a container for a product and a display area, especially in portable or hand-held sizes. No product packages provide a product and display area in an easy to product, cost-effective format. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of a product package. 
         FIG. 2  shows another embodiment of a product package. 
         FIG. 3  shows an embodiment of a product package having a product compartment with a flap and a display compartment. 
         FIG. 4  shows an embodiment of an empty product package having a product compartment with a product insert and a display compartment. 
         FIG. 5  shows an embodiment of an empty product package having a product compartment and a display compartment. 
         FIG. 6  shows an embodiment of an empty product package having a product compartment and a display compartment with a display insert. 
         FIG. 7  shows an embodiment of a layout to allow all components of a product package to be cut from a single piece of material. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The embodiments here involve a carton or package for storing and displaying products. While the embodiments here relate to consumable products such as pre-rolls of cannabis products and a display compartment used to provide a representative bud or flower used in the pre-rolls, the discussion is not intended to be limited to those products nor should any such limitation be implied. Any product could be packaged in the product compartment of the package and any representative sample or other item, such a promotional items not related to the product could reside in the display compartment. No limitation to cannabis products, smoking products, or edible or consumable products, is intended and should not be implied. 
       FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of the package  10  in its closed state. In this discussion, the terms “package,” “container” or “carton” all refer to the complete item  10  shown in  FIG. 1 , whether it contains any of the optional items discussed below or not. The package has a display window  16  that allows a consumer to view whatever lies in the bottom compartment, discussed in more detail later. The window may reside in the lid adjacent the display compartment or the product compartment. The display and product compartments may have a divider to separate them, or may just be regions of the bottom compartment. 
     In this embodiment, the package is held closed by a folded lid, also discussed later, with a slidable sleeve  12  that slides over the package and holds the lid in place. Any other type of closure could be used, including hook and loop closure attachments on the inside of the lid flap that mate with similar attachments on the side of the bottom compartment, magnets, sticky or gummy surfaces, string, insertable tabs, etc. No limitation to any particular closure is intended nor should any be implied. 
     The sliding sleeve has an advantage in that it provides a printable surface on which the producer can provide information about the contents of the package, including product specifics, weight, expiration dates, sources of product, etc.  FIG. 2  shows an alternative embodiment of the closure  12 . 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  show interior views of embodiments of a display and storage container.  FIG. 3  shows an open package. In one embodiment the user slides the sleeve  12  off the package and lifts the lid  14 . In other embodiments, with other closures the user may open the package differently. Similarly, while the embodiments here show the lid  14  as having protruding short and long sides that contact and cover the short and long sides of the bottom compartment  18 , it may have a different configuration. For example, only the long side of the lid may protrude to cover and contact the front side of the bottom compartment, with the sides of the lid just resting flush on the bottom compartment, etc. The bottom compartment  18 , in this embodiment has two further compartments. A product compartment  22 , shown here covered by a flap  20 , resides next to the display compartment  24 , which in this embodiment is inset into the display compartment holder  28 . The display compartment holder  28  may act as a divider between the product compartment and the display compartment. The display compartment holder  28  and the flap  20  may both be part of a bottom compartment insert  21  as will be discussed in more detail with reference to  FIG. 7 . 
       FIG. 4  shows the package with the flap  20  lifted to show the interior of one embodiment of the product compartment  22 . In this embodiment, the product compartment  22  has an insert  26  to hold product. In one embodiment, the product comprises pre-rolls that contain the same bud as that may be shown in the display compartment  24 . As will be discussed in more detail further, the display compartment may hold any item, including extracts, tinctures, etc., as well as promotional materials such as pins, stickers, etc., folded instructions on the best way to use the product, a graphic or photograph, etc. The contents of the display compartment will be referred to here as the displayable item. 
       FIG. 4  also shows a view of an embodiment of product insert  26 . In this particular embodiment, the product compartment insert  26  has a center ridge that extends almost to the height of the bottom compartment  18 , which shallow regions on either side to hold the product. In one embodiment, the insert  26  is formed of one piece of packaging, separate from the rest of the container. 
     One should note that the product compartment insert  26  is optional, as is the display compartment holder  28 . Some sort of divider between the two compartments would more than likely be desirable, but the product could reside side-by-side with the displayable item. In one embodiment, the bottom compartment would just comprise one compartment without any divider and the window would just display whatever is in the bottom compartment, such as a concentrate or extract. The display compartment comprises an area of the bottom compartment that contains a displayable item. Either the display compartment or the product compartment may be adjacent the window. Typically, the window will be positioned adjacent the display compartment through which the displayable item can be viewed if no divider is used. 
       FIG. 5  shows an embodiment of the package without the insert  26 . The product compartment  18  is empty except for the insert  21  that may form the flap  20  and the display compartment holder  28  acting as a divider and providing the display compartment  24 . The insert  21  is removable and fits into the bottom compartment  18 . Similarly, the entire bottom compartment  18  could be empty, with the display compartment holder also not in the bottom compartment. The product compartment and the display compartment could just comprise areas within the bottom compartment. The display compartment comprises an area of the bottom compartment adjacent the window through which the displayable item can be viewed if no divider is used. 
       FIG. 6  shows an embodiment in which the display compartment  24  has a display insert  30  that would provide a higher platform for the displayable item. For example, a flatter displayable item, such as a piece of shatter as an example, could be placed in the much shallower display compartment. This would allow shallower items to reside there without rattling or moving when the lid is closed. The shallower insert may also contain a sticker or other item when there were no products to be displayed. 
     As can be seen, many different options exist and are within the scope of the embodiments here. For example, the window  16  in the lid  14  may comprise a clear plastic or cellophane piece, while the display compartment  24  does not have a cover. One could add a clear cover to the display compartment  24  on the inside of the package as well. Further, one could eliminate the window in the lid, such that users would have to open the package to see the displayable component. The lid itself could be clear, making the entire lid the window and the region of the compartment where the displayable item would reside the display compartment. While this is within the scope of the invention as described here, it would seem to not offer as much an advantage as allowing the consumer to see the displayable item through the lid. 
     Similarly, in the embodiments here, the packaging material is a card stock, typically thicker than what most users are familiar with as printer paper, and may have varying weights. Card stock may also be referred to as cover stock or pasteboard. This is different than cardboard, which is thicker and much less flexible, and may also be corrugated. Card stock has an advantage in its foldability, allowing the package to be manufactured more easily. For example, a stack of card stock could be punched to from the cutout for the window, then processed to add the clear window covering, cut, scored and folded to form the entire package except for the product compartment insert.  FIG. 7  shows an example of a flat piece of cardstock with the scoring lines for folding. 
     In  FIG. 7  one can see that all of the various components of the carton can be cut from a single piece of material. A first, contiguous piece  40  shows a bottom of the carton body, having the bottom  42 , and the lid  14 . The bottom  42  and the lid  14  are separated by side  52 . Side  52  along with side  54  form the bottom compartment of the package. The bottom of the package is formed of the piece  48  and the side  56  is folded to form an inner wall, along with  54  of the bottom compartment to form the long side of the bottom. Similarly, the long side of the lid is formed by sides  58  and  60  and  46  is the portion of the lid that folds into the lid. The lid  14  has a cutout for the window  16  that matches the cutout  62  in the lid fold  46 . 
     To the right of the carton body  40  is the piece that forms the flap  20 , bottom insert  22  and display compartment holder  28 . This is again the bottom view of that piece. It would be turned over and folded to form the flap, display compartment holder and bottom insert. To provide proper orientation, text labels are given on the various components that match text labels in the previous figures. 
     To the top right of the figure is the product insert  26 , and to the top left is an embodiment of the band  12 . 
     Many materials may be used, including coated materials, such as coated paper, plastic, cardboard, cloth, etc. No limitation to any particular material is intended, nor should one be implied. 
     Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the attached claims.