Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    NONE 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Research and development of this invention and Application have not been federally sponsored, and no rights are given under any Federal program. 
       REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
       [0003]    NOT APPLICABLE 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0005]    This invention relates to hanging package products for displaying items for retail sale, in general, and to a self-contained hanging package particularly attractive for the display sale of confectionery, and wet or dry form cosmetics, in particular. 
         [0006]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0007]    Hanging package products for display sales generally consist of carded packagings where such goods as toys, hardware, and electrical items are contained between a specially made paperboard card and a clear pre-formed plastic shells, typically of polyvinylchloride. Allowing a consumer to easily examine the product through the transparent plastic, the plastic shell is typically vacuum-formed around a mold to contain the item snugly. The card is usually brightly colored and designed depending on the item inside, and the polyvinylchloride is affixed to the card using heat and pressure to activate an adhesive to form a heat seal coating on the card. Oftentimes, referred to as blister packs, the adhesive employed is selected strong enough so that the pack may hang on a peg, but weak enough so that the package can be easily opened. Sometimes with large items, the card has a perforated window for access to allow the item inside to be more easily removed. 
         [0008]    As will be readily appreciated, however, these hanging package units, in construction, embody two separate products—the item itself, and the package which surrounds it. Frequently, the package is designed to be difficult to open by hand so as to deter tampering. With this, as with the simpler version of allowing easy access to the item inside, once the package is opened and the plastic shell discarded, there is little that can be done to recover the item for future use, resulting in the wasting of the extra materials employed. 
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and unique hanging package product for display unit sales which overcomes this disadvantage of the prior art. 
         [0010]    It is an object of the present invention, also, to provide such a hanging package product in which the item inside and the clear plastic shell are formed together as a self-contained construction. 
         [0011]    It is another object of the invention to provide a hanging package product of this nature which is particularly attractive for the display sales of confectionery, and wet or dry form cosmetics. 
         [0012]    It is a further object of the invention to provide this confectionery and cosmetic hanging package product which is both tamper resistant in opening, but able to be closed off to save any remaining product after a partial draining of its contents. 
         [0013]    It is yet another object of the invention to provide this hanging package product for display unit sales in which the product content can be released by a simple squeezing of the plastic shell itself. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    As will become clear from the following description, the tamper resistant self-contained hanging package of the invention is formed of three unique components—a bladder, a cap, and a sealing card. The bladder component will be seen to be fabricated of a squeezable plastic, preferably flat on one side, and fillable with any type of confectionery, and wet or dry form cosmetic. The cap component will be seen to be provided with “ears”—which, when the package is ready to be opened, are turned to both open the cap and separate it from a nozzle of the bladder. The sealing card component will be seen to be die cut, with an outer layer of cardboard and an inner layer of plastic for not only supporting the finished product, but to be foldable to allow the bladder and all interior areas of the card to be heat sealed together. Designed with a “tear-corner”, the only way to access and dispense the product contents will be seen to be a ripping of this corner which, at the same time, opens the cap and removes it from the bladder nozzle. Fabricating the ripped “tear-corner” to be easily removable from the cap, furthermore, allows the cap itself to be thereafter attached to the nozzle in closing off the bladder to save any remaining content for later use. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    These and other features of the invention will be more clearly understood from a consideration of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0016]      FIGS. 1   a - 1   e  are perspective and/or sectional views of the bladder component of the self-contained hanging package in a preferred embodiment of the invention; 
           [0017]      FIGS. 2   a - 2   f  are perspective, sectional and other views of the cap component of the preferred hanging package invention; 
           [0018]      FIGS. 3   a - 3   b  are outer and inner views of the sealing card component of the invention; 
           [0019]      FIGS. 4   a - 4   d  are views helpful in understanding the forming of the bladder, the cap, and the sealing card into the self-contained hanging package of the invention; and 
           [0020]      FIGS. 5   a - 5   c  and  FIGS. 6   a - 6   c  are views helpful in appreciating modifications that can be made in constructing alternative embodiments of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    The bladder component  10  of the self-contained hanging package is fabricated from a soft and squeezable material, enabling a user to easily dispense and squeeze out its contents—such as confectionery, and wet or dry cosmetic products. In the preferred embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 1   a - 1   e,  the bladder is fabricated of a low density, squeezable polyethylene formed as a half unit—its top  12  being shown in the front perspective views of  FIGS. 1   a,    1   b,  and  1   c,  and in the sectional view of  FIG. 1   d,  as “domed”, and its bottom  14  as shown in the bottom perspective view of  FIG. 1   e  as a flat base. A nozzle of the bladder is shown at  16 , centered on the bladder  12 , with the nozzle  16  pointed upwardly in  FIG. 1   a  and downwardly in  FIG. 1   c.  In particular, the top half  18  of the nozzle  16  is located at the top of the bladder  12  (as shown in the sectional cut view of  FIG. 1   d ), with the bottom half  20  of the nozzle  16  being located at the flat base of the bladder in that sectional cut view. As shown in the bottom perspective view of  FIG. 1   e  with the nozzle  16  pointing downwardly, the nozzle area  22  is convex so as to allow the opening of the nozzle to remain in full circle. The nozzle  16  is threaded at  24  so as to screw with the cap component illustrated in the views of  FIG. 2 . A pair of stoppers  26 ,  27  are shown on the nozzle  16  in  FIG. 1   e  to match up with the sealing card, to be described in the views of  FIG. 3 . Reference numeral  28  illustrates an opening in the nozzle  16  for the filling of the wet or dry product content. Reference numeral  30  identifies a thin edge of the bladder  10  to allow the bladder to easily seal to the sealing card of the  FIG. 3  views by sandwiching between its layers. 
         [0022]    As an appreciation of the views of  FIGS. 2 and 3  will illustrate, the stoppers  26  and  27  are in the shoulder of the nozzle  16 , and essentially comprise two small points which stop the cap from unlimited rotation when the cap is screwed onto the nozzle; this allows the cap ears to be described below to be parallel with the sealing card. At the same time, the thin edge  30  which frames the bladder  10  will be seen to seal the bladder to an inner wall of the sealing card. As will be described with respect to the views of  FIG. 3 , once the bladder  10  is filled, and the cap of the views of  FIG. 2  is affixed, the bladder  10  is dropped into the open “sealed card”, facing the inner layer. The card is then folded closed and the card and bladder are heat sealed together. 
         [0023]    The cap component  35  of the hanging package is illustrated in the various views of  FIG. 2 . Specifically,  FIG. 2   a  is a front view of the cap,  FIG. 2   b  is a perspective view of the cap with its bottom  37  facing downwardly,  FIG. 2   c  is a perspective view of the cap showing its top surface  39 ,  FIG. 2   d  is a bottom view of the cap,  FIG. 2   e  is a perspective view of the cap with its bottom facing upwardly, and  FIG. 2   f  is a sectional view of the cap showing its internal structure. As previously mentioned, the cap  35  screws onto the nozzle  16  of the bladder at  24  by way of threads  41  within the cap bottom  37 . Preferably, the cap is fabricated of polypropylene. 
         [0024]    Reference numerals  43  and  45  identify extensions on opposite sides of the cap allowing the cap  35  to be fixed into a corner  85  of the sealing card illustrated in the views of  FIG. 3 . These extensions (or “ears”), more specifically, are sealed into a top corner of the card, sandwiched between its inner and outer layers. Being so hidden within the card once sealed into it, the ears  43 ,  45  cannot be seen from the front or back of the card—but when the package is ready to be opened by the user ripping the top corner  85  from the card, the ears that are extended within are turned as well, and will open the cap in separating it from the nozzle of the bladder. The corner and cap that are together can then easily be separated from one another by breaking the meeting points or tearable perforations between them. Once the cap is separated, the cap ears are exposed but the cap can be screwed back onto the nozzle to close the remaining contents of the bladder for later use. 
         [0025]    In this respect, inside the cap  35  are a pair of stoppers  47 ,  48  on a track  49  with a raised edge located on both sides of the cap ( FIG. 2   c ). Such stoppers  47 ,  48  operate in conjunction with the stoppers  26 ,  27  of the nozzle  16  ( FIG. 1   e ) in allowing for the ears  43 ,  45  to be parallel with the bladder  10  and the sealing card of the  FIG. 3  views. An inner plug  51  on the cap  35  ( FIG. 2   f ) seals the opening of the nozzle  16  as the cap  35  is screwed onto the nozzle. In effectuating this, the plug  51  is slightly tapered so as to be forced into the nozzle  16  in sealing off the nozzle. 
         [0026]    The sealing card support component  75  of the hanging package of the invention is composed of an outer cardboard layer  60  ( FIG. 3   a ) and an inner polyethylene layer  62  ( FIG. 3   b ). The outer cardboard side is printed at  64  with related information and advertising and serves as a support for the hanging package. The inner layer  62 , on the other hand, is to be heat sealed both to the bladder  10 , and to itself once folded over. Those areas identified by the reference numeral  66  together form a Euro hole for hanging the card once the card is folded over upwardly, and preferably in half, along a fold line  68  and sealed. The areas identified by the reference numerals  70 ,  72  are die cut to receive the front and back of the bladder nozzle  16 , respectively, when the bladder is dropped into the card. Those areas shown by the reference numerals  74 ,  76  are die cut to receive the front and back of the bladder  10 , respectively. With the card of  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  folded over in half, with the framing edge  30  then abutting the inner layer  62 , and with all of the meeting materials being of a form of polyethylene (with the exception of the cap) so as to be heat sealable together, the bladder  10  and all interior areas of the card can be sealed. 
         [0027]    Reference numeral  78  in  FIG. 3   b  identifies an embossed edge for the dropped-in placement of the bladder  10 , while that area identified by the reference numeral  80  represents a debossed area in  FIG. 3   a . The embossed area  78  aligns the bladder&#39;s edge  30  of  FIGS. 1   a,    1   b  or  1   c,  as well as the cap ears  43 ,  45  of the card. Such areas  78 ,  80  allow the card to be better sealed, as the thickness from the bladder&#39;s edge  30  and the cap ears  43 ,  45  are absorbed by the embossing of the card. With a finish of the card being flat and even all around, and with all edges of the card being sealed, it will be appreciated that the only way to access the product is by tearing away the top corner  85  of the card. A tear line  87  is shown in  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b , along with tearable perforations  89  which attach to the cap ears  43 ,  45 . In particular, the perforated area  85  once given a rotational twist tears away from the card layers  60 ,  62 ; and, at the same time opens the cap ears  43  and  45  to separate the cap  35  from the bladder  10 . Such tamper-resistant feature of the hanging package is supplemented through a further easy removal of the cap from the card so that the cap can then be fixed to the bladder without the torn corner, for later use. This follows from the cap being then tearable away from the perforations  89 . Moreover, the cap is additionally fabricated from polypropylene, so as not to be sealed with the inner polyethylene layer of the card  62 . In this respect, fabricating the layer  62  of a polyethylene allows that lamination of the card to be sealed to the thin edge  30  of the bladder, while leaving the outer layer  60  of the card as a standable, printable paper-type or cardboard-type board of any desired specific weight. 
         [0028]      FIGS. 4   a - 4   d  are helpful in appreciating how the self-contained card hanging package of the invention may be formed. In particular,  FIG. 4   a  is an exploded view of all components of the package,  FIG. 4   b  is a partially assembled view of the bladder, cap and sealing card components,  FIG. 4   c  is a front view of all the parts assembled, and  FIG. 4   d  is a back view of all the assembled parts. The bladder  10  with its bottom  14  and its nozzle  16  is illustrated in  FIG. 4   a , as is the cap  35  with its ears  43 ,  45 . So too, is the embossed edge  78  on the inside card polyethylene layer  62  with the tear line  87  and its tear point perforations  89 .  FIG. 4   b  shows the bladder  10  dropped into the polyethylene inner layer  62 , with the outer layer  60  being folded over the bladder to the inner layer  62  by rotating the bottom portion of the card upwardly. (Once this is done, the card is then heat-sealed all around in locking the bladder into the card.) With  FIG. 4   c  showing a front view of the heat sealed card when closed in full assembly, the tear corner  85  is at the upper right (or at the upper left in the back view of the assembled parts as viewed in  FIG. 4   d .) When so folded over and assembled, the soft and squeezable “dome”  12  of the bladder  10  is displayed on the package front, the remaining space  90  being utilizable for additional printing and advertising. The back of the sealed card viewed in  FIG. 4   d  shows the bladder nozzle  16  being exposed, along with the area  64  on which the printing and product advertising is illustrated. A self-contained squeeze card hanging package thus results. 
         [0029]    When so assembled, the perforated area all the way through the top corner of the card, when twisted or torn in a counterclockwise position, tears open the card in allowing the cap  35  to be removed. The torn off cardboard corner and cap can be easily separated, and the cap replaced upon the bladder&#39;s nozzle  16  so that the remaining product can be accessed at another time. This follows, since the ears  43 ,  45  allow the cap  35  to turn while the corner is being torn from the card—but since the cap  35  is made of polypropylene rather than polyethylene (i.e., another material), the cap  35  will not seal to the card. Once the cap  35  is removed from the nozzle  16 , the contents of the bladder—whatever it may be—can be squeezed and sucked out (or just squeezed out) the nozzle opening simply by pressing down on the low density polyethylene bladder. Once the bladder is emptied, the bladder can simply be discarded. 
         [0030]    Whereas there has been described what is considered to be a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will readily be appreciated that modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from its teachings. For example, while the preferred embodiment has been described with a single product containing bladder, double chambered bladders with nozzles 90° apart can be located at both the left and right corners of the card, as well. Likewise, the bladder design can be of amy geometric or freeform shape—all as shown in, for example, the single chamber splodge of  FIG. 5   a , the single chamber star of  FIG. 5   b , and the double chamber freeform of  FIG. 5   c , each with its own tear-away corner and capped ears sandwiched between the inner polyethylene layer and the outer cardboard layer of the sealing card. In similar manner, the cap component can be changed over to a sprayer-type component to provide a spray version of the invention—as shown in the front view, back view, and assembly view of  FIGS. 6   a ,  6   b  and  6   c  where reference numeral  200  identifies the Euro hole for hanging, reference numeral  201  represents the cap with its ears centered between the two panels of the card, with the tear points to open the card and free up the cap being shown at  202 , with a sprayer down tube shown at  203 , with the bladder sealed to the inside of the card shown at  204 , with the tear away portion of the card shown at  205 , with the back-side cardboard for printing and advertising shown at  206 , with the top portion of the card being torn away and discarded at  207 , with the cap being removed from the top portion of the card and replaceable onto the sprayer as at  208 , with the spray nozzle at  209 , and with a screw-on closure attached to the spray end assembly as at  210 . In each arrangement of the views of  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the squeezable bladder can be filled with any type of product—whether it be confectionery, or cosmetic of wet or dry form. 
         [0031]    And, as yet another feature and modification of the invention, instead of having the bladder component  10  essentially of a clear composition to allow a consumer to easily view its contents, the bladder portion can be printed or decorated with whatever images may be desired in resembling characters, scenes or topological features for example—and with or without the bladder having a flat base bottom. As will be understood, however, by having a flat base bottom instead of one which is convex, the ease of printing the back of the sealing card with backgrounds, advertising, and information becomes not only simpler, but allows for greater informational content. 
         [0032]    For at least the foregoing reasons (and for the further reason that the squeezable bladder can contain a wide type of flowable product contents other than confections, or cosmetics), resort should be had to the claims appended hereto for a true understanding of the scope of the invention.

Technology Category: 1