Clamshell package for holding and displaying consumer products

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/772,650, filed Feb. 11, 2006.

[0002] The present invention generally relates to packages for containing and displaying consumer products and, more specifically, to so-called clamshell packages having two sides typically formed of thermoplastic material and affixed together to hold and display the consumer product.

[0003] Clamshell or blister pack packaging is a very popular type of packaging for many consumer products, including electrical and electronic products, such as portable compact disc players, cassette recorders or players and other portable audio or video products. Quite often, the clamshell packaging is designed to be theft resistant while also enabling the product design and features to be clearly displayed to the consumer at the retail level.

[0004] However, such clamshell packaging has not typically been used to hold and display personal care and household care products, including scented products such as shampoos, hair conditioners, body washes, skin lotions, deodorants, laundry detergents, fabric softeners, and the like. Consumers in retail stores have a tendency to want to interact with personal care and household care products, such as smelling a scented personal care product, and clamshell packages tend to isolate the product from the consumer thereby preventing this type of interaction.

[0005] Oftentimes, a consumer product is packaged in a so-called tottle package. Examples include products used in the shower such as shampoo, hair conditioner, and liquid body wash. One drawback of consumer products packaged in tottles is that the products can be susceptible to leakage on a store shelf if the cap of the product is not closed tightly.

[0006] There has thus been a desire to develop a clamshell package that can effectively hold and display a consumer product, especially a scented consumer product, that allows a consumer to interact with the consumer product, such as by smelling the consumer product, without having to open the clamshell package. There has been a further desire to develop a secondary package that can hold and display a consumer product packaged in a tottle that further prevents leakage of the consumer product onto store shelves.

[0007] The present invention relates to a clamshell package for holding and displaying a consumer product that comprises a bottle and a cap. The clamshell package comprises a first clamshell side and a second clamshell side, wherein at least a portion of the first and second clamshell sides are affixed together to hold the consumer product between the first and second clamshell sides. The clamshell package further comprises an aperture through which at least a portion of the cap of the consumer product extends from the clamshell package. The clamshell package is therefore able to hold and display the consumer product, while allowing a consumer to access the cap of the product. The consumer is then able to open the cap of the consumer product in order to smell or to sample the product.

[0008] The present invention further relates to a clamshell package for holding and displaying a consumer product comprising a tottle containing a liquid composition. The clamshell package comprises a first clamshell side and a second clamshell side wherein at least a portion of the first and second clamshell sides are affixed together to hold the consumer product and to prevent leakage of the liquid composition from the clamshell package. In this respect of the invention, a tottle containing a liquid composition can be displayed on a store shelf without concern of the liquid composition leaking onto the store shelves.

[0009] The clamshell packages of the present invention can be utilized to hold and display a plurality of consumer products in a single clamshell package.

[0016] As used herein, the term “clamshell” is intended to include thermoform packages typically referred to as clamshell packages or blister pack packages. The term “clamshell package” as used herein therefore encompasses blister pack packages.

[0017] As used herein, the term “tottle” means a bottle having a cap attached to the bottle, wherein the bottle is designed to rest on its cap. Many shampoos, hair conditioners, shaving lotions, body washes, in-shower body moisturizers, and other products used in the shower or bath are contained in tottles.

[0018] In one aspect of the present invention, the clamshell package comprises a first clamshell side and a second clamshell side, wherein at least a portion of the first and second clamshell sides are affixed together to hold the consumer product between the first and second clamshell sides. The sides of the clamshell package can be affixed together by a number of processes or materials known in the art, such as heat-sealing, adhesive sealing, or by friction, for example through the use of locking tabs that are friction-fitted by connecting a male aspect to a female aspect.

[0019] The clamshell package preferably further comprises an aperture through which at least a portion of the cap of the consumer product extends from the clamshell package. The cap can be a flip-top cap, screw-on cap, snap-on cap, and the like. Preferably, the cap is a flip-top cap which allows a consumer to easily flip open the cap to smell or otherwise interact with the consumer product, without having to open the clamshell package.

[0020] Preferably at least one side of the clamshell package has a recess area that is molded to receive the bottle, or tottle, of the consumer product to be held and displayed in the clamshell package. The bottle, or tottle, of the consumer product is typically made of a plastic material. Examples of suitable plastic materials include high density polyethylene (“HDPE”), low density polyethylene (“LDPE”), polyethylene terephthalate (“PET”), polypropylene (“PP”), polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, nylon, and fluorinated ethylene propylene. The bottle can be made via a number of various processes known in the art, such as blow molding, injection molding, and the like. Preferred bottles of the present invention are made of HDPE or PP via an extrusion blow molding process, or PET via an injection blow molding process.

[0021] The clamshell package of the present invention is typically made of a thermoplastic material. Examples of thermoplastic materials include acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), acrylic, celluloid, cellulose acetate, ethylene vinyl alcohol (E/VAL), fluoroplastics (PTFEs, including FEP, PFA, CTFE, ECTFE, ETFE), ionomers, liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polyacetal (POM or Acetal), polyacrylates (Acrylic), polyacrylonitrile (PAN or Acrylonitrile), polyamide (PA or Nylon), polyamide-imide (PAI), polyaryletherketone (PAEK or Ketone), polybutadiene (PBD), polybutylene (PB), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycyclohexylene dimethylene terephthalate (PCT), polycarbonate (PC), polyketone (PK), polyester, polyethylene/polythene/polyethene, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherimide (PEI), polyethersulfone (PES), polyethylenechlorinates (PEC), polyimide (PI), polymethylpentene (PMP), polyphenylene oxide (PPO), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyphthalamide (PPA), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polysulfone (PSU), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and mixtures thereof. Preferred thermoplastic materials herein include polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, and polypropylene. The thermoplastic material is preferably a transparent material, especially transparent polyvinyl chloride.

[0022] A second aspect of the present invention relates to a clamshell package that holds and displays a consumer product comprising a tottle. In this aspect, the clamshell package preferably does not comprise any apertures and the first and second sides of the clamshell package are affixed together, preferably by a method that forms a seal such as heat-sealing, such that any composition that may leak from the tottle will be contained in the clamshell package and prevented from leaking onto a shelf in a retail store. Although this embodiment does not facilitate consumer interaction with the product, it does provide the benefit of preventing leakage of the product onto shelves in a retail store.

[0023] In one embodiment of the present invention, the clamshell package is a tri-fold clamshell package comprising a first side, a second side and a base portion. The base portion is attached to the first side by a first hinge and to the second side by a second hinge. The first and second sides, and optional base portion, of the clamshell package can be made from a single continuous piece of thermoplastic material, or can be made from separate pieces of thermoplastic materials that are then heat-sealed or otherwise affixed together.

[0024] The clamshell package can optionally further comprise a hole through one or more sides of the package to facilitate hanging of the package from a display hook in a retail store.

[0025] The clamshell packages of the present invention can be utilized to hold and display a variety of personal care products, such as shampoos, hair conditioners, shaving lotions, body washes, in-shower body moisturizers, and the like. Non-limiting examples of shampoos are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. RE34,584, 5,932,203, and 5,935,561. Non-limiting examples of hair conditioners are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,387,090 and 4,705,681. Non-limiting examples of shaving lotions are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,248,495, 5,451,396, and 6,682,726. Non-limiting examples of body washes are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,885,948, 6,080,707, and 6,194,364. Non-limiting examples of in-shower body moisturizers are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,699,488, U.S. Pat. No. 6,645,511, US 2003/0049282 A1, and US 2003/0054019 A1.

[0026] The clamshell packages of the present invention can be utilized to hold and display a variety of household care products, such as dishwashing detergents, laundry detergents, fabric softeners, fabric refresher sprays, and the like.

[0027] In one embodiment, the present clamshell package holds and displays a consumer product having a multi-phase visual product appearance. These types of products tend to comprise at least two phases, wherein the phases are visually distinct and form a pattern, such as swirled, striped, marbled, or other geometric patterns. Non-limiting examples of consumer products having visually distinct phases are described in US 2004/0057920 A1 and US 2004/0092415 A1. A clamshell package made of a transparent thermoplastic material is especially suitable for holding and displaying such consumer products exhibiting a visual pattern since the appearance of the product can be observed by the consumer on a 360° basis.

[0028] In one embodiment, the consumer product held and displayed by the present clamshell package is a scented consumer product; in other words, the consumer product comprises perfume.

[0029] The clamshell package of the present invention can further comprise a label comprising indicia such as graphics, words, logos, trademarks, or the like, affixed to the clamshell package or such indicia can be printed directly onto the clamshell package, especially for advertising or promotional purposes.

[0030] The clamshell package of the present invention can hold and display a plurality of consumer products. For example, the clamshell package can be used to hold and display two consumer products, which could be the same or different products, especially for promotion and sale in warehouse-type retail stores, otherwise known as club stores, which tend to sell consumer products in bulk or in larger quantities as compared to more traditional retail stores. The clamshell package can also be used to hold and display complementary consumer products, for example: a shampoo product and a hair conditioner product; a liquid body wash product and a skin moisturizer lotion product; a liquid laundry detergent and a fabric softening product. When the clamshell package holds a plurality of consumer products, the clamshell package will comprise a plurality of apertures through which the caps of the consumer products extend, so that consumers can interact with each of the consumer products in the clamshell package.

[0031] One embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1-6. The clamshell package 10 of FIGS. 1-6 is designed to hold and display two tottles 18, each tottle 18 containing a scented liquid personal care product, such as body wash or shampoo.

[0032] The clamshell package 10 shown in FIGS. 1-4 is the clamshell package itself, without showing the tottles 18 of the consumer products that are intended to be held and displayed therein. In this embodiment, the clamshell package 10 is a trifold clamshell package comprising a first clamshell side 11, a second clamshell side 12 and a base portion 13. The trifold clamshell package 10 is constructed from a single piece of transparent polyvinyl chloride. The base portion 13 is attached to the first clamshell side 11 and the second clamshell side 12 by two hinges 14. The base portion 13 further comprises two apertures 15, through which the caps 19 of the tottles 18 extend, once the tottles 18 are placed into the clamshell package 10. The first clamshell side 11 and second clamshell side 12 are folded together at each hinge 14, relative to the base portion 13. The first clamshell side 11 and second clamshell side 12 are affixed together via a number of locking tabs 16, which are friction-fit locking tabs. A male aspect of each locking tab 16 is molded into the first clamshell side 11 and a female aspect of each locking tab 16 is molded into the second clamshell side 12. The first clamshell side 11 and second clamshell side 12 each comprise a recess area 17. Each recess area 17 is molded to the shape of the tottles 18 to be held and displayed by the clamshell package 10.

[0033] A template of the clamshell package 10 made from a single piece of transparent polyvinyl chloride is shown in FIG. 5, before the first clamshell side 11 and second clamshell side 12 are folded together along the hinges 14 relative to the base portion 13 to form the clamshell package 10.

[0034] FIG. 6 illustrates the clamshell package 10 of FIGS. 1-4 that is holding and displaying two tottles 18, with each tottle 18 having a cap 19. Each tottle 18 is held between the first clamshell side 11 and second clamshell side 12, in the corresponding recess areas 17. Each tottle 18 has a cap 19 which extends through an aperture 15 in the base portion 13. As a result, each cap 19 is accessible outside the clamshell package 10, while each tottle 18 is held within the clamshell package 10 in the recess areas 17. Each cap 19 is a flip-top cap. A consumer can therefore flip open the cap 19 of each consumer product in order to smell or otherwise interact with the product contained in the tottle 18. The clamshell package 10 can then be stored on a shelf in a retail store by resting the clamshell package 10 on the caps 19 of the tottles 18.

[0035] The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm”.

[0036] All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.

[0037] While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.