Abstract:
A package for chewing gum and other edible products having one compartment which may hold the pieces of chewing gum, and an attached rear second compartment, which may serve as a pocket for waste.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to packaging and, in various embodiments, to chewing gum packaging that may have an attached supplemental compartment, in order to permit proper disposal of wrappers and provide for a cleaner environment. 
         [0003]    2. Background 
         [0004]    Chewing gum is popular throughout culture for a myriad of reasons. However, once a piece of chewing gum is unwrapped, consumers have the dilemma of what to do with the gum wrapper. To dispose of it the consumer turns to a variety of convenient options be it a pocket, waste basket, purse, or in most instances, littering. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, there is a need for a solution to the disposal of chewing gum wrappers, a potential place for disposal of chewed gum itself if properly wrapped for disposal, and lastly prevention of littering and the promotion of a healthier, green environment. 
         [0006]    The foregoing discussion is intended only to illustrate some of the shortcomings present in the field of the invention at the time, and should not be taken as a disavowal of claim scope. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    In accordance with general aspects of at least one form, there is provided a gum package device wherein the back side of the gum package has two side members extending from the back side, an additional face connecting the two side members creating an expanding secondary compartment that is open at the top. The secondary compartment is able to close and reopen as needed by the consumer in order to dispose of gum wrapper and gum waste. 
         [0008]    In accordance with other general aspects of at least one form, there is provided a gum package wherein the back side of the gum package has two lateral side members extending from the back side, an additional face connecting the two lateral side members and having an extending flap in order to close both the primary compartment, wherein the edible products are contained, and the secondary compartment, by folding the extending flap over both compartments, and is sealed by placing the tab of the extending face in a slit on the front face of the primary compartment. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a rear perspective view of a package for an edible product in an open position; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the package of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the package of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a rear perspective view of another form of package for an edible product; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a side elevational view of the package of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of the package of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a rear perspective view of yet another form of package device for an edible product; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a side elevational view of the package of  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is a front perspective view of the package of  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is a rear perspective view of yet another form of package device for an edible product; 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  is a side elevational view of the package device of  FIG. 10 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 12  is a front perspective view of the package device of  FIG. 10 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 13  is a side elevational view of yet another form of package device; 
           [0023]      FIG. 14  is a side elevational view of yet another form of package device; 
           [0024]      FIG. 15  is a side elevational view of still another form of package device; and 
           [0025]      FIG. 16  is a top elevational view of the form of package device in  FIG. 15 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0026]    Certain exemplary embodiments will now be described to provide an overall understanding of the principles of the structure, function, manufacture, and use of the devices and methods disclosed herein. One or more examples of these embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the devices and methods specifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting exemplary embodiments and that the scope of the various embodiments of the present invention is defined solely by the claims. The features illustrated or described in connection with one exemplary embodiment may be combined with the features of other embodiments. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0027]    Reference throughout the specification to “various embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “one embodiment,” or “an embodiment”, or the like, means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments”, “in one embodiment”, or the like in places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Thus, the particular features, structures, or characteristics illustrated or described in connection with one embodiment may be combined, in whole or in part, with the features, structures, or characteristics of one or more other embodiments without limitation. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0028]    Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which assist in illustrating the various pertinent features of the package design. While the following descriptions will be referencing gum packaging, this invention is applicable to other food or other packaging devices. Also, the materials to form the package device may be paperboard blanks, cardboard, hard paper, light cardboard, foil paper, etc; however, other similar and known materials are also applicable. 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  3  there is shown one embodiment of a package device, generally represented as  10 , for pieces of an edible product such as chewing gum. Package device  10  includes a primary compartment  12  for the edible product, and has front member  16 , side members  18  and  20 , and bottom member  25  as seen in  FIG. 2 . A secondary compartment  14  for receiving waste materials is attached adjacent to primary compartment  12 , and has a separator member  19  between compartments  12  and  14  that may be the same material as the other members of the packaging device, and two lateral side members  26  and  28 , which may be triangular in shape, extending from side members  18  and  20 . Side members  26  and  28  may fold down their respective centerlines, which allows the secondary compartment  14  to expand and contract. The secondary compartment may include a back member  22  attached to lateral side members  26  and  28 . Back member  22  may have an extending flap  24 , having a tab  30  extending from its leading edge. The package device  10  may be closed by folding flap  24  over the top sides of both primary and secondary compartments,  12  and  14  respectively, utilizing the tab  30  that is inserted in slot  32  formed in front face  16  shown in  FIG. 3 . However, other closure members such as temporary adhesive, Velcro®, Ziploc®, double-sided tape, etc. may be used. The perspective view of  FIG. 1  and the side view of  FIG. 2  of embodiment  10  are shown in the open position.  FIG. 3  shows a frontal perspective view of embodiment  10  of the package device in the closed position. 
         [0030]    The embodiment of the package device  100  depicted in  FIGS. 4 ,  5 , and  6  includes a primary compartment  112  for edible products and having a front member  116 , side members  118  and  120 , and bottom member  125  as seen in  FIG. 5 . A secondary compartment  114  is attached adjacent to primary compartment  112 , and may include a separator member  119  between compartments  112  and  114  that may be the same material as the other members of the packaging device, and two lateral side members  140  and  142 , which may be rectangular in shape, extending from sides  118  and  120 . Secondary compartment  114  may have side members  140  and  142  and bottom member  143 , which may fold down their respective centerlines, to expand and contract. The secondary compartment may include a back member  122  connected to lateral side members  140  and  142 . Back member  122  may have an extending flap  124  having a tab  130  extending from its leading edge. The package device of embodiment  100  may be closed by folding flap  124  over the top sides of both primary and secondary compartments  112  and  114 , respectively, utilizing tab  130  that is inserted in slot  132  formed in front face  116  shown in  FIG. 6 . However, other closure members such as temporary adhesive, Velcro®, Ziploc®, double-sided tape, etc. may be used. The perspective view of  FIG. 4  and the side view in  FIG. 5  of embodiment  100  are in the open position.  FIG. 6  shows a frontal perspective view of embodiment  100  of the package device in the closed position. 
         [0031]    The package device of embodiment  200  depicted in  FIGS. 7 ,  8 , and  9  includes a primary compartment  212  for the edible product, and having a front member  216 , side members  218  and  220 , a separator member  219 , that may be the same material as the other members of the packaging device, and having extending flap  250 , and bottom member  224 . Extending from flap  250  is tab  252 . Flap  250  may fold over primary compartment  212  in order to close the primary compartment  212 .  FIG. 9  shows tab  252  placed in slot  254  on front member  216  in order to close the first compartment  212 . A secondary compartment  214  for receiving waste materials is attached adjacent to primary compartment  212 , and may have lateral side members  226  and  228 , which may be triangular in shape, a back member  222 , and shares the lower portion of separator member  219  with the primary compartment  212 . Side members  226  and  228  may fold down their respective centerlines, which may expand and contract secondary compartment  214 . The secondary compartment  214  may be closed at  230  using a temporary adhesive, Velcro®, Ziploc®, double-sided tape, or other suitable closure device. The side view of embodiment  200  in  FIG. 8  shows the packaging device with compartment  212  open and compartment  214  open.  FIG. 13  generally represented as  200 ′, depicts the package design as generally represented by  200  of  FIGS. 7 ,  8 , and  9 ; however, the package design  200 ′ may utilize a secondary flap  256  extending from or adjacent to separator member  219  that folds over the secondary compartment  214  on to face  222  in order to close the secondary compartment  214  by means of temporary adhesive, Velcro®, Ziploc®, double-sided tape, a tab, or other suitable closing device  258  on secondary extended flap  256 . 
         [0032]    The embodiment of packaging device  300  depicted in  FIGS. 10 ,  11 , and  12  includes a primary compartment  312  having a front member  316 , side members  318  and  320 , separator member  319  having an extending flap  350 , and bottom member  324  as seen in  FIG. 11 . Extending from flap  350  is tab  352  and flap  350  folds over the primary compartment  312  in order to close the primary compartment  312 . The secondary compartment  314  is attached adjacent to primary compartment  312  and may have lateral side members  340  and  342  that may be rectangular in shape, extending from side members  318  and  320 , a back member  322 , and a bottom member  343 . A separator member  319 , that may be the same material as the other members of the packaging device may separate primary compartment  312  from the secondary compartment  314 . Side members  340  and  342  may fold down their respective centerlines, which may expand and contract secondary compartment  314 . The secondary compartment  314  may be closed at  330  using a temporary adhesive, Velcro®, Ziploc®, double-sided tape, or other suitable closing device. The side view of embodiment  300  in  FIG. 12  shows the packaging device with primary compartment  312  open and secondary compartment  314  open.  FIG. 12  shows tab  352  placed in slot  354  on frontal face  316  in order to close the first compartment  312 .  FIG. 14  shows another form of the packaging device  300 ′. In this form, the package design may have an extending flap  356  that is a secondary flap extending from or adjacent to separator member  319  that folds over the secondary compartment  314  on to face  322  in order to close compartment  314  by means of a temporary adhesive, Velcro®, Ziploc®, double-sided tape, a tab, or other suitable closing device  358  on secondary extending flap  356 . 
         [0033]    The embodiment of packaging device  400  depicted in  FIGS. 15 and 16  includes a primary compartment  412  having front member  416 , side members  418  and  420 , separator member  419 , that may be the same material as the other members of the packaging device, and has an extending flap  424 , and bottom member  425  as seen in  FIG. 15 . Extending from flap  424  is tab  452  and flap  424  may fold over primary compartment  412  in order to close the primary compartment. The secondary compartment  414  is attached adjacent to primary compartment  412  and has a back member  422  that is attached to separator  419  along side members  418  and  420  and bottom member  425 . The top view of  FIG. 16  shows the packaging device  400  in an expanded position where flap  424  is folded over primary compartment  412  and secondary compartment  414  is expanded yet sealed by means of closure device  430  which may include and is not limited to a temporary adhesive, Velcro®, Ziploc®, double-sided tape, or other suitable closure device. 
         [0034]    Thus, various embodiments provide for gum packaging devices each having a separate waste disposal compartment. While the various embodiments have been described as having exemplary designs, these embodiments may be further modified within the spirit and scope of the disclosure. This application is, therefore, intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the various embodiments using their general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains.