Feb. 18, 1969 M. a. BLISH 3,428,171
CARD SUPPORTED PACKAGE Filed Jan. 13, 1966 invenior United StatesPatent 3 Claims This invention relates to packaging and more particularly to the type of packaging which provides means for enclosing a unit of product within a relatively thin walled plastic covering which is secured to a supporting card of paperboard or the like.
The package is ordinarily assembled with the plastic covering firmly secured at its peripheral edge to the supporting card.
The present invention provides an improved package of this type which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, having novel and advantageous structures which enable the consumer to readily open the unit containing cavity in a time-saving and convenient manner.
Further details and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and appended drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention showing the assembled package.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the package in FIG. 1 showing the unit containing cavity in an open position.
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the plastic covering of the package.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the supporting card of the package.
Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawings in which similarly numbered characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various views, and specifically referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the numeral denotes the supporting card, which is made of firm sheet material such as cardboard. The unit ofproduct containing cavity 11 is formed of a plastic covering, which is preferably transparent, and is provided anopen base 12 having aflange 13 disposed contiguous to the peripheral edge of thebase 14. The base flange extends laterally outward from the peripheral edge of the base and the backface surface side 15 of the base flange is secured flush to the frontface surface side 16 of the supporting card. The supporting card is provided a weakened line having aportion 17 of the weakened line extending outwardly beyond the outerperipheral edge 18 of the base flange. Aportion 19 of the weakened line of the base flange is disposed longitudinally of the base flange and aportion 20 of the weakened line of the base flange extends to the outer peripheral edge of the base flange.
The unit containing cavity is shown containing aproduct 21 which represents a retail hardware item in the form of a padlock, for the purpose of illustration. Obviously, the unit containing cavity of the present invention may be formed to receive a variety of products of different sizes and shapes.
The unit containing cavity is quickly and easily opened for removal of the packaged product by means of fingergripping action as shown in FIG. 2. A portion of the weakened line of the supporting card is disposed underlying the weakened line of the base flange, and severance of the weakened line of the base flange is induced during severance of the portion of the weakened line of the supporting card underlying the weakened line of the base thereby detaching a portion of the base flange from a portion of the body of plastic materialcomprising the unit containing cavity and facilitating opening of the unit containing cavity for removal of the packaged product.
The weakened line of the base flange, as shown in the fragmentary portion of the plastic covering in FIG. 3
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is disposed so that it is alignable in overlying relation with a portion of the weakened line of the supporting card fragmentary portion shown in FIG. 4. While the plastic covering of the preferred embodiment of the package is of generally rectangular configuration having a curved lower perimeter provided portions of the weakened line of the base flange extending outwardly to the peripheral edge of the base flange disposed at its opposing sides, it is to be understood that a single weakened line of the base flange extending outwardly to the peripheral edge of the base flange may be employed, if desired, to coopmate with a single weakened line of the supporting card extending contiguous to the peripheral edge of the supporting card having a portion of the weakened line underlying the single weakened line of the base flange and the portion of the weakened line of the base flange disposed longitudinally of the base flange. The employment of the single weakened line of the structure is contingent upon the shape and size of the unit of product to be packaged and the extent of opening required of the plastic covering to conveniently remove the product from the unit containing cavity.
The type of card supported package herein described and shown, and for which this invention especially provides improvement through novel and advantageous opening means, is well known to those skilled in the art. Since various modifications of the improvement may occur to those skilled in this art, it is to be understood that it is not intended or desired to limit the present invention to the exact constructions described and shown. Arrange ments other than those described herein or shown in the drawings in detail may be produced without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, and it is to be understood that all matter contained in the foregoing descriptions or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense; that certain changes from the exact shapes or constructions shown, or materials described, and fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention may be made without affecting the scope and spirit of the invention as hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.
What is claimed is:
1. In a card supported package adapted for packaging a unit of product, comprising a supporting card having a front face side and an opposing back face side, a weakened line provided on the supporting card terminating substantially contiguous to the peripheral edge of said sup porting card, a covering of relatively thin walled formable plastic material disposed at said front face side of the supporting card and having a body comprising a unit containing cavity, said unit containing cavity provided with an open base having a flange disposed contiguous to the peripheral edge of the base defining a base flange extending outward of the peripheral edge of said base, said base flange having a back face side secured substantially flush to the supporting card front face side; the base flange provided with a weakened line disposed longitudinally of the base flange and a portion of the weakened line extending substantially to the outer peripheral edge of said base flange, the supporting card provided with a weakened line extending outward beyond the outer peripheral edge of the base flange terminating substantially contiguous to the peripheral edge of said supporting card and a portion of the weakened line disposed underlying the weakened line of the base flange, whereby severance of the base flange weakened line is induced upon severance of a portion of the supporting card weakened line underlying the weakened line of the base flange, thereby detaching a portion of the base flange from a portion of the body of plastic material and facilitating opening of the unit containing cavity for removal of contents packaged within said unit containing cavity.
2. The invention as defined in claim 1, in which the weakened line of the base flange is provided with two opposing portions extending substantially contiguous to the outer edge of the base flange and the supporting card provided with a weakened line having two opposing portions extending outward from the outer peripheral edge of said base flange terminating substantially contiguous to the peripheral edge of said supporting card.
3. In a card supported package of the class described, the combination comprising a weakened line provided on a plastic material base portion having a cavity adapted to contain a packaged product, a portion of said weakened line disposed longitudinally of the unit containing cavity and at least one end of the weakened line terminating outwardly of said cavity contiguous to the peripheral edge of said base portion, a supporting card provided with a weakened line having a portion underlying the weakened line of the plastic material base and a portion extending outwardly of the base portion terminating substantially contiguous to the peripheral edge of said supporting card.
References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,025,952 3/1962 Phipps 20678 X 3,174,621 3/1965 Watson 206-78 3,115,243 12/1963 Nash 206-52 3,165,234 1/1965 Conklin et al 22951 3,255,880 6/ 1966 Grossman 20678 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.
J. M. CASKIE, Assistant Examiner.
'U.S. C1. X.R. 2065 6; 229-51