Patent Publication Number: US-2013236861-A1

Title: Package for consumable products

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates generally to packaging. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to containers for storing consumable products and methods for teaching children to identify foods to eat and for identifying brands. 
     Packaging for consumable products come in a variety of sizes, shapes, materials and designs. These sizes, shapes, materials and designs generally differ for example, for aesthetic reasons or marketing purposes. Although consumable product packaging is able to convey different types of information very quickly to a consumer, there does not always exist continuity in the information being conveyed to the consumer. 
     With all of the different sizes, shapes and designs of packaging found on store shelves, it can be difficult for a consumer to differentiate one product from another. This may complicate the self-feeding process for children who are unable to discern the types of foods contained in the packages. Similarly, problems with differentiating products may also reduce brand loyalty if a consumer is unable to determine whether a product is manufactured by his or her favorite brand. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure provides a display package housing a plurality of consumable products. In an embodiment, a package includes a body defining a perimeter and at least one interior compartment for housing a consumable product. The perimeter has a shape that is not a typical geometric shape that is a recognizable shape to a child. The recognizable shape may be selected from the group consisting of a ghost a pumpkin, a clown, a doll, a dinosaur, a dog, a cat, a robot, or combinations thereof. 
     In an embodiment, the body defines two compartments. The body may also define three compartments. The interior compartments may have a shape selected from the group consisting of polygonal semicircular, oblong, or combinations thereof. In an embodiment, the interior compartment has a polygonal shape selected from the group consisting of rectangular, square, triangular, trapezoidal, or combinations thereof. 
     In an embodiment, the body further defines a hook at a top portion of the package for receiving a hanger. The body may also define a gripping portion. 
     In an embodiment, the consumable products are selected from the group consisting of snack foods, side meals, full meals, or combinations thereof. 
     In an embodiment, at least a portion of the perimeter and a portion of a bottom surface of the compartment form a plane to allow the package to stand substantially upright. 
     In another embodiment, a package includes a body defining a perimeter and at least three compartments for housing consumable products. The perimeter and compartments form a shape that is not a typical geometric shape and that is a recognizable shape to a child. The recognizable shape may be selected from the group consisting of a ghost, a pumpkin, a clown, a doll, a dinosaur, a dog, a cat, a robot, or combinations thereof. 
     In an embodiment, two of the compartments represent eyes of the recognizable shape. In an embodiment, one of the compartments represents a mouth of the recognizable shape. 
     In an embodiment, the perimeter further defines a gripping portion. The gripping portion may represent feet of the recognizable shape. 
     In yet another embodiment, methods for teaching children to identify foods to consumer are provided. The methods include providing a first package having a body defining a perimeter having a shape and at least one compartment housing consumable products. The shape of the perimeter of the body is recognizable to a child and not a typical geometric shape. The methods further include providing a second package having a body defining a perimeter having the same shape as the first package and at least one more compartment than the first package housing consumable products. The methods further include associating the number of compartments in the first and second packages with a type of a meal provided by the first or second packages, and selecting the first or second package for consumption based upon the number of compartments. 
     In an embodiment, a difference in a number of compartments in the first package and second package is indicative of a difference in the type of food contained in the compartments. 
     In an embodiment, the methods further include providing a third package comprising a body defining a perimeter having the shape of the first package and the second package and at least one more compartment than the second package housing consumable products. 
     In an embodiment, the methods further include selecting the first package for consumption for breakfast. The second package may be selected for consumption for lunch. The third package may be selected for consumption for dinner. 
     In yet another embodiment, methods for identifying a product brand are provided. The methods include providing a first package comprising a body defining a perimeter having a shape and at least one compartment housing consumable products. The shape of the perimeter is recognizable to a child and is not a typical geometric shape. The methods further include providing a second package comprising a body defining a perimeter having the same shape of the first package and at least one compartment housing consumable products. The second package is from about 110% to about 150% larger than the first package. The methods further include associating the shape of the perimeter of the first and second package with a product brand, and selecting the first or second package based on the association of the perimeter shape with the product brand. 
     In an embodiment, a difference in size of the first package and the second package is indicative of a difference in the consumable products contained therein. The difference in the consumable products contained therein is indicative of a difference in an age group of a child. 
     In an embodiment, the second package contains consumable products designed for a child that is older than a child for which the consumable products of the first package are designed. 
     In an embodiment, the methods further include providing a third package having a body defining a perimeter having the shape of the first and second packages and at least one compartment housing consumable products. The third package is from about 110% to about 150% larger than the second package. 
     In an embodiment, the third package contains consumable products designed for a child that is older than a child for which the consumable products of the second package are designed. 
     It is an advantage of the present disclosure to provide an improved consumable product container. 
     It is also an advantage of the present disclosure to provide consumable product containers that are aesthetically pleasing to children. 
     It is another advantage of the present disclose to provide consumable product containers that teach children to identify proper foods to eat. 
     It is yet another advantage of the present disclosure to provide consumable product containers that allow consumers to identify product brands. 
     It is a further advantage of the present disclosure to provide consumable product containers that are easily gripped by children for self feeding. 
     Additional features and advantages are described herein, and will be apparent from, the following Detailed Description and the figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a package in an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a front view of the package of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a back view of the package of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a side view of the package of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view of a package standing upright in another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6A  illustrates a front view of a package in yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6B  illustrates a front view of a package in another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6C  illustrates a front view of a package in still yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure provides packages for housing consumable products. Methods for teaching children to identify foods to consume and methods for identifying product brands are also provided. In a general embodiment, packages of the present disclosure include a body that defines a perimeter and at least one interior compartment. The perimeter has a shape that is a recognizable shape to a child that is not a typical geometric shape. In another general embodiment, the perimeter in combination with the interior compartments form a shape that is a recognizable shape to a child that is not a typical geometric shape. 
     As used herein, a “recognizable shape” means that the perimeter of the package body and/or the perimeter of the body in combination with the compartments forms a shape that is easily recognized by a child. For example, the shape may include, for example, a ghost, a pumpkin, a clown, a doll, a dinosaur, a dog, a cat, a robot, etc. The shape may be recognizable from television, movies, books, plays, games, school, home, etc. Further, as used herein, a “typical geometric” shape is a shape that is commonly known and familiar to children including, for example, a circle, a triangle, a square, a rectangle, etc. 
     Packages of the present disclosure are designed to house consumable products. The consumable products housed in the packages may be any consumable products including, for example, baby foods, snack foods, full meals, side meals, etc. In an embodiment, the packages house foods for children (e.g., infants, toddlers, pre-schoolers, etc.) including, for example, fruits, vegetables, grains, cereals, pastas, etc. The consumable products may be finger foods or may be designed to be consumed using utensils. The teachings of the present disclosure, therefore, are not dependent upon the consumable products being of any particular type so long as the products fit within the package described herein. 
     In an embodiment, and as shown in  FIG. 1 , a package  10  for storing consumable products is provided. Package  10  includes a body  12  that defines a perimeter  14  and at least one interior compartment  16 . Body  12  may further define a hook  18  that may be used for hanging package  10  for display. Perimeter  14  of package  10  may define any shape that is easily recognized by a child, but is not a typical geometric shape. For example, in an embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 , perimeter  14  of package  10  defines a ghost shape. However, the skilled artisan will appreciate that the shape of perimeter  14  is not limited to a ghost and may include any shape that is easily recognizable to a child that is not a typical geometric shape. 
     Package  10  is also not limited to any particular size so long as consumable products may be contained therein. As will be discussed further below, however, the size of package  10  may be indicative of a type of food contained therein. For example, if three packages  10  are provided, each having a different size, the size of each package  10  may indicate whether the package  10  contains breakfast food, lunch food or dinner food. In another embodiment, the size of each package may indicate whether, for example, the package  10  contains a snack food, a side meal or a full meal. 
     Alternatively, the size of package  10  may be indicative of an age group for which the food contained therein is appropriate. For example, a small package may be designed for infant foods, a medium package may be designed for toddler foods and a large package may be designed for pre-schooler foods. By providing packages  10  having the same shape in different sizes, children are able to determine proper foods to eat for specific meals or depending on age groups, as will be discussed further below. Additionally, by providing packages  10  having the same shape, but different sizes, caretakers may more readily identify a product brand or a proper food for a child of a certain age, as will also be discussed below. The skilled artisan will, appreciate that the dimensions of package  10  may vary as desired or in accordance with manufacturing specifications or in accordance with the size and shape of the consumable products contained therein. 
     Body  12  further defines at least one compartment  16  that is designed to house consumable products. In an embodiment, body  12  may include one compartment. In another embodiment, body  12  may define more than one compartment. The skilled artisan will appreciate that body  12  may include any number of compartments  16 , which will be limited only by the size of package  10 . For example, in an embodiment body  12  includes a number of compartments  16  selected from the group consisting of two, three, four, etc. 
     Compartments  16  may be randomly oriented on body  12  of package  10 . In an embodiment, however, compartments  16  may be oriented so as to form a recognizable shape. For example, in an embodiment wherein three compartments are provided, two compartments may represent eyes, one compartment may represent a mouth and a perimeter  14  may represent a general shape of a face or body of a recognizable shape. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a ghost may be defined by perimeter  14  and compartments  16 . The skilled artisan will appreciate, however, that any number of recognizable shapes may be formed from perimeter  14  and compartments  16 . 
     As is shown by  FIGS. 3 and 4 , compartments  16  may be completely separated so that compartments  16  can house different types of consumable products. For example, a first compartment  16  may house vegetables while a second compartment  16  houses potatoes and a third compartment  16  houses a meat product. Providing different compartments  16  can advantageously protect one type of consumable product from exposure to another. In this manner, compartments  16  can serve as flavor barriers between different flavors of consumable products, thereby preventing flavor migration and homogenization which can otherwise adversely affect product quality. 
     Perimeter  14  of body  12  may further define a gripping portion  20 . Gripping portion  20  may be any portion of perimeter  14  that aids a consumer in handling package  10 . For example, in an embodiment wherein package  10  houses consumable products for children, gripping portion  20  aids the child in handling package  10  on his or her own so that the child may learn to self-feed. Accordingly, gripping portion  20  may be especially useful in embodiments wherein the consumable product housed by package  10  is a finger food that a child can consume without the use of utensils. 
     In an embodiment, gripping portion  20  defines protrusions from perimeter  14  that allow for easier handling of package  10 . For exam pie, in  FIGS. 1-5 , gripping portion  20  of package  10  includes two slightly projecting portions of perimeter  14  that represent feet or a bottom portion of the ghost shape. In an embodiment where gripping portion  20  comprises protrusions from perimeter  14 , as in  FIGS. 1-5 , gripping portion  20  may also be used to aid in standing the product upright for marketing purposes, as will be discussed below. Alternatively, in another embodiment, gripping portion  20  may include a texturized, roughened or raised area (not illustrated) of a surface of body  12 . 
     In an embodiment, gripping portion  20  may be used, at least in part for standing package  10  upright for storage or display. For optimum packaging and shipping to a consumer or to retail stores, it is beneficial that package  10  is able to stand substantially upright. Further, it is advantageous for marketing purposes to display package  10  on a store shelf in a substantially upright position such that a consumer is able to identify a product brand associated with a shape of package  10 , the recognizable shape of package  10  is readily visible to the consumer, a child can easily view the shape of package  10 , etc. 
     For example, as shown in  FIG. 5 , gripping portion  20 , in combination with a portion of a bottom surface  16   a  of compartment  16 , define a plane on which package  10  stands. Alternatively, a bottom surface  16   a  of compartment  16  may define two projections (not illustrated) that, in combination with a portion of perimeter  14 , form a plane on which package  10  stands. In other words, as long as package  10  defines a plane (i.e., at least three points of contact) on which package  10  can rest, the shape of perimeter  14  and/or compartments  16  is immaterial. In an embodiment, package  10  may rest in a substantially vertical or upright position or may rest in a position that tilts toward or away from a consumer, depending on the shape of package  10 . Regardless of the shape of package  10 , if intended to rest on its side, package  10  must be able to rest in a stable manner on the plane. In other words, package  10  must be constructed and arranged so that it will not easily fall over when filled with consumable products. 
     In another embodiment, package  10  nm ay be configured to hang vertically from a display rack in a retail store. As discussed above, body  12  defines a hook  18  that is so constructed and arranged to receive a hanger that allows package to hang from a display rack. The skilled artisan will appreciate that the shape and size of hook  18  is not critical. For example, in an embodiment, hook  18  may be a hole in a top portion of body  12 . The hook  18  may be entirely defined by body  12  such that hook  18  does not form part of perimeter  14 , as is illustrated at least in  FIGS. 1-3 . 
     Alternatively, however, perimeter  14  may include an integral hook  18  (not illustrated) that is so constructed and arranged to form a portion of perimeter  14 . In other words, integral hook  18  may be formed continuously with a portion of perimeter  14  such that it shares a boundary with perimeter  14 . For example, in an embodiment where package  10  generally has a pumpkin shape (not illustrated), hook  18  may form a portion of perimeter  14  located at a top of package  10  and may have a curved pumpkin stem shape (not illustrated). The skilled artisan will appreciate that hook  18  is not limited to any particular size or shape so long as hook  18  allot a display hanger to pass therethrough to hang package  10 . 
     In addition to standing substantially upright and hanging, package  10  may also be configured to lay substantially flat on a top surface  12   a  of body  12  or the bottom surface  16   a  of compartment  16 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . In an embodiment, top surface  12   a  and bottom surface  16   a  are substantially flat. In another embodiment, top surface  12   a  and bottom surface  16   a  are slightly concave. The skilled artisan will appreciate that top surface  12   a  and bottom surface  16   a  need not have the same shape. For example, in an embodiment, one of top surface  12   a  and bottom surface  16   a  is flat and the other is slightly concave. Additionally, the skilled artisan will appreciate that top surface  12   a  and bottom surface  16   a  need not have only one shape and may have a combination of one or more shapes. 
     In an embodiment, package  10  may include a lid (not illustrated) or other form of closure such as a removable closure to properly store the consumable products therein. A removable closure (not shown) such as, for example, a transparent film or a lid stock, may be sealed onto top surface  12   a  of body  12  and may sealably separate the contents of each compartment  16  in embodiments where more the one compartment  16  is provided. In addition to separation of consumable products, the removable closure may also be used to keep the products fresh and to extend the shelf life of the products. Any conventional sealing technique known in the art may be used to seal the removable closure onto top surface  12   a  of body  12 . The techniques may include, but are not limited to, conductive heating, cold sealing, heat sealing, heat activated adhesive, etc. 
     Package  10  may be made from a molded plastic material such as, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene, or the like, or combinations thereof. Body  12  may be formed using conventional thermoforming or molding processes including, but not limited to, injection molding, injection blow molding and extrusion blow molding. Alternatively, package  10  may be manufactured from non-plastic materials including, but not limited to, cardboard, metal, styrofam, etc. Further, at least a portion of package  10  can be either transparent or translucent so that a consumer can readily discern what types of products are housed in compartment  16  of package  10 . Alternatively, at least a portion of package  10  may be opaque. In an embodiment wherein a lid (not illustrated) is provided, the lid may be translucent while body  12  is opaque. 
     In addition to having different optical properties, package  10  may also have different colors. Package  10  may have a color selected from the group consisting of white, yellow, orange, red, green, blue, purple, brown, black, etc. For example, in an embodiment, package  10  may be transparent and red in color. Alternatively, package  10  may be opaque and blue in colors. In an embodiment, package  10  of  FIG. 1  may be opaque and white in color such that the ghost shape is more easily recognized by a child. In another embodiment, package  10  may be shaped like a pumpkin, include three substantially triangular-shaped compartments that represent two eyes and a mouth, be orange in color and have an integral hook portion that is green in color and shaped like a pumpkin stem. The skilled artisan will appreciate that the optical properties and colors of package  10  are not limiting and that package  10  may have any combination thereof. 
     Package  10  may include indicia (not illustrated) provided on an exterior and/or interior of body  12  for marketing purposes. The indicia may include, for example, logos, advertisements, branding information, nutritional information, product information, manufacturer information, etc. The indicia may be printed on a pressure sensitive material, printed directly on package  10 , printed on a removable closure, etc. 
     In an embodiment, methods for using packages of the present disclosure are also provided. For example, in an embodiment, methods for teaching children to identify foods to eat are provided. The methods include providing a first package  100 , as shown in  FIG. 6A , having a body  110  defining a perimeter  120  and at least one compartment  130  housing consumable products. Similar to previous embodiments, perimeter  120  defines a recognizable shape to a child that is not a typical geometric shape. The methods further include providing a second package  200 , as shown in  FIG. 61 , having a body  210  defining a perimeter  220  having the same shape of the first package  100  and at least one more compartment  230  than the first package  100 , which also houses consumable products. The methods include associating the number of compartments  130 ,  230  in first and second packages  100 ,  200  with a type of a meal provided by first or second packages  100 ,  200 , and selecting first or second package  100 ,  200  for consumption based upon the number of compartments  130 ,  230 . 
     In another embodiment, a third package  300  is provided, as illustrated in  FIG. 6C . The third package  300  may also include a body  310  defining a perimeter  320  having the shape of the first package  100  and the second package  200 , and at least one more compartment than the second package  200 , which also houses consumable products. 
     As discussed above, the skilled artisan will appreciate that the packages of the present disclosure are not limited by the number of compartments contained therein. Indeed, the packages of the present invention may include any number of compartments. By providing a different number of compartments for packages of the present invention, children may be able to associate the number of compartments with a type of food contained therein such that the child will be able to easily determine which meal is appropriate or desired for consumption. 
     For example, package  100  of  FIG. 6A  may contain a breakfast meal, while package  200  of  FIG. 6G  may contain a lunch meal and package  300  of  FIG. 6C  may contain a dinner meal. Similarly, package  100  may contain a snack food (e.g., pretzels, crackers, nuts, etc.), while package  200  contains a side meal (e.g., mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, cheese and crackers, etc.) and package  300  contains a full meal (e.g., meat, potatoes and a vegetable). Depending on the time of day (e.g., breakfast, lunch or dinner) or the hunger level of a child (e.g., snack, side meal or full meat), the child may associate the number of compartments with an appropriate meal and select a package for consumption depending on same. 
     Similarly, packages  100 ,  200  and  300  may all contain foods designed for the same age group (e.g., one of an infant, toddler, or pre-schooler) and children may become familiar with the types of foods contained in different packages of the present disclosure. For example, package  100  may contain a pre-schooler meal comprising one type of food such as, for example, a pasta (e.g., ravioli), while package  200  may contain a 2-food pre-schooler meal comprising, for example, a cheese in one compartment and a meat in another compartment, and while package  300  may contain a 3-food pre-schooler meal comprising, for example, meat, potatoes and a vegetable. Based on the child&#39;s desires, child can select a meal appropriate fbr his or her tastes. 
     Alternatively, a number of compartments of packages of the present disclosure may help caretakers and/or children identify which package contains foods that are appropriate for children of different age groups. For example, package  100  may contain a food designed for an infant, while package  200  may contain a food designed for a toddler and package  300  may contain a food designed for a pre-school-aged child. Such a packaging system will advantageously help caretakers quickly and easily identify age-appropriate foods while shopping in a retail store or supermarket, or while preparing meals at home. 
     Accordingly, a difference in a number of compartments of packages of the present disclosure may be indicative of a number of factors including, for example, foods appropriate for an age category and types of foods contained in the packages. 
     In another embodiment, methods for identifying product brands are provided. The methods include providing a first package  100 , as shown in  FIG. 6A , having a body  110  defining a perimeter  120  having a shape and at least one compartment  130  housing consumable products. As discussed above, perimeter  120  defines a recognizable shape to a child that is not a typical geometric shape. The methods further include providing a second package  200 , as shown in  FIG. 6B , having a body  210  defining a perimeter  220  having the same shape as the first package  100  and at least one compartment  230  housing consumable products. Second package  220 , however, may be from about 110% to about 150% larger than first package  100 . The methods also include associating the shape of perimeter  120 ,  220  of first and second packages  100 ,  200  with a product brand and selecting first or second package  100 ,  200  based on the association of the perimeter shape with the product brand. 
     In another embodiment, a third package  300  is provided, as shown in  FIG. 6C , that includes a body  310  defining a perimeter  320  having the shape of the first and second packages  100 ,  200  and at least one compartment  330  housing consumable products. Third package  300 , however, may be from about 110% to about 150% larger than second package  200 . 
     The skilled artisan will appreciate that the differences in sizes between packages of the present disclosure is not limited. For example, second package  200  may be from 110% to about 200% larger than first package  100 . In another embodiment, second package  200  may be from about 130% to about 180% larger than first package  100 . In an embodiment, second package  200  is about 150% larger than first package  100 . 
     The skilled artisan will also appreciate that third package  300  may be from 110% to about 200% larger than second package  200 . In another embodiment, third package  300  may be from about 130% to about 180% larger than second package  200 . In an embodiment, third package  300  is about 150% larger than second package  200 . 
     Similarly, third package  300  may be from 110% to about 200% larger than first package  100 . In another embodiment, third package  300  may be from about 130% to about 180% larger than first package  100 . In an embodiment, third package  300  is about 150% larger than first package  100 . 
     By providing a system of packages that have the same shapes but different sizes, a consumer may quickly and easily identify a product brand. This may be advantageous because, although infant foods, toddler foods and pre-schooler foods are not always situated next to each other on shelves or sorted by brand names, a consumer familiar with one size of the package system will quickly and easily identify another package having the same shape, but a different size that is designed for a different age group. 
     For example, package  100  may contain a food designed for an infant, while package  200  may contain a food designed for a toddler and package  300  may contain a food designed for a pre-school-aged child. Therefore, a parent of both an infant and a pre-schooler, who is, for example, familiar with package  100  for infant foods will be able to quickly and easily identify a pre-schooler meal in package  300  that is manufactured by the same brand as package  100 . Such a packaging system will advantageously promote brand recognition and loyalty with consumers, in addition to making the consumer shopping experience more efficient. 
     Similarly, such a system will also provide continuity for products designed for children of the same age group, but containing different types of foods. For example, package  100  may contain a small-sized pre-schooler meal, while package  200  may contain a medium-sized pre-schooler meal, and while package  300  may contain a large-sized pre-schooler meal. Based on the child&#39;s desires, child can select a meal appropriate for his or her tastes. In embodiments wherein the shape of the package is the same, but the size of the packages are different, packages may have the same number of compartments or different numbers of compartments. 
     In addition, and as discussed previously with respect to the number of compartments, providing packages of different sizes may also help consumers to quickly and easily identify which package contain foods that are appropriate for children of different age groups. In an embodiment, small first package  100  may contain a food designed for an infant, while medium second package  200  may contain a food designed for a toddler, and a large third package  300  may contain a food designed for a pre-school-aged child. 
     Accordingly, a difference in the size of packages of the present disclosure, which all have the same shape may be indicative of a number of factors including, for example, a common product brand, types of foods contained in the packages and age groups for which foods contained in the packages are appropriate. 
     It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present subject matter and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.