Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    The present application is related to U.S. application Ser. No. (Docket 83783), filed ______, by Tingey, et al., and entitled, “Case For Carrying And Storing Light And Moisture Protected Product;” and U.S. application Ser. No. (Docket 83171), filed------, by Tingey, et al., and entitled, “Package And Method Of Making Same For Storing And Displaying Product” 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF INVENTION  
         [0002]    The invention relates to the field of packaging. More particularly, the invention concerns a package for storing and displaying product, such as photographic film product and the like, in an easily accessible and convenient case.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    One way to display photographic products, such as camera film, for retail sale is in a full paperboard structure, commonly called a carton. An example of such a carton is one that is described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,183, entitled “Carton For Enclosing And Displaying Articles,” by Warren et al., Dec. 12, 1995. Commonly, when such a carton is opened to gain access to the product inside, the carton flaps are rendered useless thereafter leaving no reasonable way to secure the unused product inside the carton. Moreover, it is well known that these cartons do not provide much protection from tampering or moisture.  
           [0004]    Another well-known practice for displaying photographic product is to enclose the product in a flexible material package that once opened is destroyed, leaving no method to secure the unused product inside the flexible package. Single unit, hermetically sealed plastic film containers packed within cartons or flexible display packages provide physical and moisture protection but individual containers are cumbersome to handle and transport when multiple rolls of film are required. Additionally, in high humidity conditions, because of the hermetic seal, moisture may become entrapped in the product container having exposed film therein. In the case of 35 mm film there is no means provided to determine the exposure status of the film. If multiple rolls of the same variety of films are sealed within individual plastic containers they may be mistakenly used after they have been exposed, ruining both the initial and subsequent sets of images.  
           [0005]    Yet another method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,165, entitled “Carton For Enclosing And Displaying Articles,” by Warren et al., Dec. 12, 1995, describes a single piece, molded rigid container that can be opened with one hand, can be sealed against moisture, and provides protection from external force and heat by using air gaps provided by internal support structures. It also includes the use of shrink-wrap as an external protection layer to ensure the “virginity” of the enclosed product. These techniques provide no means to indicate if any or all of the enclosed cartridges of photographic film have been used or are fresh, nor does it provide individual protection for the enclosed unused cartridges. Also, the rigid container can be resealed when closed, risking entrapping high humidity and moisture with the used and fresh film cartridges. In addition the use of shrink-wrap as an external wrapper is a limited means to provide instructions, advertising, physical protection, and physical display options such as peg hangers.  
           [0006]    Therefore, a need persists in the art for a package that conveniently stores and displays product in a reusable product container or case that protects the product from adverse consequences of light and moisture.  
         SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
         [0007]    It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a package that can conveniently store and display a product in a recloseable case.  
           [0008]    It is another object of the invention to provide a package for storing and displaying a product that can be reused once all or a portion of the product contained therein is used.  
           [0009]    Still another object of the invention is to provide a package for storing and displaying a product wrapped in a moisture and light impervious barrier material.  
           [0010]    An important feature of the package of the invention is a display member that utilizes a transparent shell partially sandwiched between overlapped panels of the display member to securely encase a product container for display.  
           [0011]    The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above. Briefly summarized, according to one aspect of the invention, a storage and display package has a display member having partially overlapped, closely spaced first and second panels. A reuseable article container for containing at least one article wrapped in a hermetically sealed, moisture and light barrier material. Means for removably attaching the reuseable article container to the display member is provided in the form of extended flange portions snugly sandwiched between the partially overlapped, closely spaced first and second panels of the display member.  
           [0012]    The present invention has numerous advantages of prior developments, including: it allows packaging of product in a reusable container; it is both a simple and a convenient way to display and then store a product for later use by the consumer; it provides an easily recloseable product container that protects used and unused product stored therein; it will allow packaging of hermetically sealed photographic product in a reusable container; it provides tamper resistant and tamper evident outer display package; it contains a hinged lid, secured to the bottom portion of the package; and, it has a convenient case carrying member.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    The foregoing as well as other objects, features and advantages of this invention will become more apparent from the appended Figures, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements, and wherein:  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a front view of a photographic product in a travel case and display package;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a photographic product in a travel case and display package;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a side, cross-sectional view of an unopened, unused, and unexposed photographic product in a travel case and display package;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is a side, cross-sectional view of an unopened, unused, and unexposed photographic product in a closed travel case with display package removed and discarded;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is a side, cross-sectional view of an unused and unexposed photographic product in an opened travel case, with the barrier layer wrap intact;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 is a side, cross-sectional view of an unused, and unexposed photographic product without the travel case and with the barrier layer wrap intact;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 7 is a side, cross-sectional view of a used and exposed photographic product in an opened travel case and with the barrier layer wrap removed and discarded;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 8 is a side, cross-sectional view of a used and exposed photographic product in a closed travel case and with the barrier layer wrap removed and discarded;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a closed travel case with the display package removed and discarded;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an opened travel case with three unused and unexposed photographic products with the barrier layer wraps intact;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an opened travel case with two unused and unexposed photographic products with the barrier layer wraps intact, and one used and exposed photographic product with the barrier layer wrap removed and discarded;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an opened travel case, three used and exposed photographic products with the barrier layer wraps removed and discarded;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a travel case with an integrated lanyard and an attached wrist strap;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 14 is a side view of a travel case with an integrated belt clip;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a separator insert; and,  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 16 is a perspective view of an opened travel case with a separator insert. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0030]    Turning now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1-3, the package  10  of the invention for storing and displaying a product, such as light and moisture barrier protected photographic film product, is illustrated. According to FIGS. 1, 2, and  3 , package  10 , broadly defined, has a display member  12 , a reusable product container or travel case  20  (hereinafter referred to as “case”), and a plastic shell  30 , attachable to display member  12 , that envelops the case  20 .  
         [0031]    Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, display member  12 , more particularly, includes a front layer  14  and a rear layer  16 . As seen in FIG. 3, front layer  14  partially overlaps rear layer  16  and forms a closely spaced gap  18  therebetween. Front layer  14  and rear layer  16  of display member  12  are preferably constructed of a paperboard stock material, although other materials, such as a wide array of plastics, may be used. According to FIG. 3, front layer  14  and rear layer  16  are designed to trap first and second extended flange portions  30   a ,  30   b , respectively, of plastic shell  30  in gap  18 . Moreover, front layer  14  and rear layer  16  may be used for assembly, graphics call-outs, instructions, and retail display (not shown). Front and rear layers  14 ,  16  are attached together with any appropriate heat activated or pressure sensitive adhesive, or mechanical fasteners such as staples (not shown). Although various means may be used to display package  10 , we prefer utilizing a display lanyard cut through paperboard and plastic sections to form a through-opening to facilitate retail display by providing a means to hang the package from a hook, pegboard or the like. According to FIG. 2, during assembly of package  10 , reusable case  20  is inserted into plastic shell  30  having first and second extended flange portions  30   a ,  30   b . First and second extended flange portions  30   a ,  30   b  of plastic shell  30  are then snugly sandwiched or trapped between gap  18  formed by overlapping panel front and rear layers  14 ,  16 .  
         [0032]    Referring to FIG. 3, transparent plastic shell  30  may be constructed from a range of clear or semi-clear transparent materials. We prefer constructing plastic shell  30  from PVC or PET. Skilled artisans will appreciate that other materials, such as polyester, acrylic, etc., may also be used to construct plastic shell  30 . In our preferred embodiment of the invention, plastic shell  30  is shaped to conform to the case  20  by either vacuum-forming or molding, depending on the material selected.  
         [0033]    Referring to FIGS. 3-5,  7 - 14 , and  16 , case  20  is sealed within display package  10 , as described above. As indicated above, plastic shell  30  encompasses rigid, reusable case  20  containing, for instance, unused photographic product  100 . Case  20  is preferably constructed of HDPE although other materials, such as polypropylene, could be used. In practice, case  20  may contain one or more rolls of unused photographic product  100 . Moreover, case  20  could be transparent, or opaque, or opaque with a transparent viewing window (not shown). Additionally, case  20  can be manufactured so that brand identification, logos, instruction, and the like, are permanently imbedded in plastic case material.  
         [0034]    According to FIG. 3, a cross-sectional view of an unopened, unused, and unexposed photographic product  100 , sealed within barrier wrap  130  is illustrated. Unused photographic product  100  is shown stored inside case  20  that is mounted for display in package  10 . As indicated, display member  12  of package  10  has a front layer  14  and a partially overlapped rear layer  16  which could be a single hingeably attached paperboard portion (not shown) or two separate layers  14 ,  16 , as shown. The inside portion of the display member may contain a coating, e.g., a thermal adhesive or thermal resin, that may be activated by heat or pressure or the entire assembly could be attached with a mechanical fastener such as a staple (not shown). As indicated, gap  18  between overlapping front and rear layers  14 ,  16  traps or “sandwiches” the extended flange portions  30   a ,  30   b  of plastic shell  30  with the case  20  inside the shell  30 .  
         [0035]    Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, typically, unused photographic product  100 , such as a film roll, requires a flexible barrier wrap material  70  or container around the unused photographic product  100  to provide physical protection and a seal portion or “hermetic seal”  72  to provide barrier property protection to prevent high humidity and moisture from contacting the unused photographic product  100 . Case  20  is best used to accommodate product that is hermetically sealed and protected from light and moisture exposure. This is generally accomplished by providing a product  100  to be packaged in the package  10  of the invention that is hermetically sealed, such as by sealing individual rolls of unused photographic product  100  with a flexible barrier wrap material  70 . This flexible barrier wrap material  70  may comprise a heat sealed aluminized thermoplastic or similar material.  
         [0036]    Referring to FIGS. 4-8, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, case  20  has a top cover  52  and bottom section  54  connected by hinge  56  that would allow opening and re-closing. Hinge  56  may be of the heat and pressure variety commonly known as a “living hinge” or a conventional mechanical hinge (not shown). Secure closure is accomplished by the mechanical engagement of bottom latching interface edge  60  and top cover latching interface  62 . Case  20  is opened with finger latch release  64 . These features allow product contained in case  20 , such as unused photographic product  100  to be removed, as well as unused product to be securely enclosed in the case  20  once the re-closure is engaged. Case  20  is intended to be used as a “travel case,” allowing the consumer to remove one roll of film, securing the remaining rolls within the case  20  using the top cover  52 , hinge  56 , bottom latching interface edge  60 , and the top cover latching interface  62  as the re-closing features.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 4 depicts closed case  20  with the enclosed unused photographic product  100  with barrier wrap material  70 . Closed case  20  provides stylish, ergonomic, and convenient containment and protection for photographic products and is designed to fit into a purse or travel bag. Each roll of unused photographic product  100  is individually sealed with a barrier wrap material  70 . Individual wrapped product allows the removal and opening of one roll of photographic product while the remaining rolls are securely wrapped and hermetically sealed. This feature also serves as a usage indicator for photographic products, like  35 mm film, that do not include an integrated usage indicator. The lack of flexible barrier wrap material  70  on rolls of film in the travel case provides a clear indication of usage. Some photographic products, like 24 mm Advance Photo System™ and 110 films, include an integrated usage indicator but do benefit from individual hermetic seals. In addition, the barrier wrap material  70  can contain printed information, not shown, indicating the properties of the contents such as film type and film speed.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 5 depicts opened case  20  with an enclosed unused photographic product  100  in barrier wrap material  70  with seal portion  72 . Opened case  20  consists of case top cover  52 , case bottom section  54 , and travel case “living” hinge  56  which may be molded as an integral part of the case  20 . Applying an upward pressure to finger latch release  64  opens case  20 . This action releases the top cover section latching interface  62  from bottom latching interface edge  60 . Case top cover  52  remains attached to case bottom section  54  via flexible case hinge  56 .  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 6 depicts unused photographic product  100  in barrier layer wrap  70  having seal portion  72 . The unused photographic product  100  is enclosed in a barrier wrap material  70  and hermetically sealed via barrier layer seal  72 . In one embodiment, barrier wrap material  70  is a sheet of aluminized thermoplastic with the seal portion  72  created with heat and pressure. Other suitable barrier layer materials and sealing techniques can be used.  
         [0040]    Referring to FIG. 7, a used photographic product  110  has been placed in case  20 . The lack of barrier wrap material  70  provides a clear indication that the photographic product  110  has been used and is being stored in case  20  for future processing.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 8 depicts a used photographic product  110  that has been placed in case  20 . Case  20  has been closed to contain and protect used photographic product  110  until it is submitted to a photo-processing lab for photo development.  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a closed case  20  designed to hold three (3) articles, such as three (3) rolls of 24 mm IX film. It is understood that the case  20  can be designed to hold more or fewer rolls of film or other photographic products and formats.  
         [0043]    Referring to FIG. 10, an opened case  20  containing unused photographic products  100  in sealed barrier wrap material  70 . Case  20  has all the same features as described above for protecting the product from moisture and vapor.  
         [0044]    Referring to FIG. 11, a perspective view of an opened case  20  containing two (2) unused photographic products  100  in sealed barrier wrap material  70  and one (1) used photographic product  110 . The flexibility of case  20  for containing product in various states of use is illustrated.  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an opened case  20  containing three (3) used photographic products  110 . The case  20  provides utility by conveniently carrying multiple rolls of unused film to a “picture taking event” such as a party or a vacation, or for transporting used film to a photo-processing lab.  
         [0046]    Turning now to FIG. 13, a perspective view of case  20  with an optional integrated lanyard  180  and attached wrist strap  190  is illustrated. The integrated lanyard  180  may be molded as part of the case  20  or attached with adhesives or screws (not shown).  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 14 is a side view of case  20  with optional integrated belt clip  200 . The integrated belt clip  200  may be molded as part of the case  20  or attached with adhesives or screws. Belt clip  200  must be configured not to interfere with the operation of case top cover  52  for opening and closing case  20 . Belt clip  200  can be used to secure the case  20  to a belt, camera strap, or windshield visor.  
         [0048]    Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, a separator insert  210  for isolating and maintaining product contained in case  20  is illustrated. Separator insert  210  may be used to maintain the position of the enclosed photographic products,  100 ,  110 , and can also include instructions, coupons, and the like (not shown). In addition, separator  210  can be impregnated with a moisture absorbing, desiccant material such as silica gel, activated alumina, activated clay and the like. According to FIG. 16, a perspective view of separator insert  210  installed in case  20  is depicted. As shown, separator insert  210  primarily maintains the position of photographic products  100 ,  110  stored in case  20 .  
         [0049]    The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof. It will be appreciated, however, that a person of ordinary skill in the art can effect variations and modifications without departing from the scope of the invention.  
       PARTS LIST  
       [0050]    [0050] 10  package  
         [0051]    [0051] 12  display member  
         [0052]    [0052] 14  front layer of display member  12   
         [0053]    [0053] 16  rear layer of display member  12   
         [0054]    [0054] 18  gap between overlapping front and rear layers  
         [0055]    [0055] 20  reusable product container or travel case  
         [0056]    [0056] 30  plastic shell  
         [0057]    [0057] 30   a  first extended flange portion  
         [0058]    [0058] 30   b  second extended flange portion  
         [0059]    [0059] 52  top cover of case  20   
         [0060]    [0060] 54  bottom section of case  20   
         [0061]    [0061] 56  hinge of case  20   
         [0062]    [0062] 60  bottom latching interface edge  
         [0063]    [0063] 62  top cover latching interface edge  
         [0064]    [0064] 64  finger latch release  
         [0065]    [0065] 70  flexible barrier wrap material  
         [0066]    [0066] 72  seal portion or hermetic seal  
         [0067]    [0067] 100  unused photographic product  
         [0068]    [0068] 110  used photographic product  
         [0069]    [0069] 130  barrier wrap  
         [0070]    [0070] 180  integrated lanyard  
         [0071]    [0071] 190  wrist strap  
         [0072]    [0072] 200  belt clip  
         [0073]    [0073] 210  separator insert

Technology Category: 1