Light Bulb Package

This invention relates to packaging and is more particularly concerned with improvements in the packaging of products having a general configuration corresponding to that of an electric light bulb.

Numerous packaging designs have been proposed for enclosing products which are relatively fragile, such as, electric light bulbs, in a wrapper, or carton, so as to enable the package to be handled with minimum risk of damage to the product. Because of the fragile nature of the product, the packaging material employed has most often been corrugated paperboard or a cushioning material of a type designed to reduce breakage of the glass bulb. While some designs have been developed which may employ conventional paperboard stock for the wrapper or carton, these have generally not proven acceptable because they do not afford sufficient protection against breakage or other damage to the product or because of problems arising in forming the package on mechanized equipment which is readily available, or convertible, for handling the wrapper material and the product.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide a package for light bulbs or similar products which may be formed by enclosing the product in a carton or wrapper of paperboard or similar foldable sheet material which is cut, scored and formed, with a minimum of adhesive, into a container for the product so as to provide satisfactory protection against breakage during normal handling of the package, and also to provide a neat and attractive package for marketing the product.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a packaging arrangement for light bulbs, or similar articles, wherein a blank of paperboard, or similar foldable sheet material, is cut and scored for assembly into a container for a pair of the articles which are arranged in side-by-side relation and held in the encircling container in non-engaging relation by seating them at their opposite ends in apertured portions of the blank which are secured adjacent top and bottom walls of the container in inwardly spaced relation thereto and proportioned so as to provide the container formed by the encircling walls with a truncated cone shape in transverse section and with the sidewalls in planes which follow generally the contour of the articles and which are spaced from the confronting surfaces of the articles.

To this end the container and package which are disclosed and claimed herein comprises top and bottom wall members and connecting sidewall members which join the side edges of the top and bottom wall members, with sidewall members disposed in angularly related planes whereby a tubular container is formed with generally triangular cross sectional configuration and with article retaining means in the form of apertured panels hinged inwardly from the opposite end edges of the top and bottom wall members and secured in spaced relation to the same so as to form article holding and retaining structures having pockets in which the top and bottom ends of a pair of articles of generally bulbous shape are adapted to be seated.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood when reference is had to the electric light bulb package which is herein described and the preferred form of which is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a package of light bulbs which incorporates therein the principle features of the invention, with portions of a bulb at the exposed end of the package being shown in phantom line;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the package of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the package of FIG. 1, the view being taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2 with a pair of light bulbs shown in phantom line;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the package of FIG. 1, the view being taken on the line 4--4 of FIG. 1 with a light bulb shown in phantom line;

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the inside face of a paperboard blank which is cut and scored for fabricating the package of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a partial plan view of the blank of FIG. 5 with portions thereof initially folded and secured preparatory to wrapping the blank about a pair of light bulbs; and

FIG. 7 is a partial plan view of the blank with the apertured bulb retaining panels moved into erected position for receiving the ends of the bulbs.

Referring first to FIG. 5, the blank 10, which may be paperboard of relatively light gauge, or similar foldable sheet material, is cut and scored as shown, so as to provide a main body or main wall panel forming section 12 of generally rectangular shape and laterally extending pairs of pocket forming panel sections 14, 14' and 16, 16' which are spaced longitudinally of the blank section 12 and extending laterally from the side edges of the section 12, the entire blank being cut and scored so as to be symmetrically about a longitudinal center line a--a.

The blank section 12 is divided by longitudinally spaced transverse hinge forming score or crease lines 18, 20, 22 and 24, which extend between partially scored, partially cut lines defining the side edges 26, 26' of the section 12, into a series of connected panels including a base or bottom wall forming panel 28, at the one end of blank section 12, a relatively wide side wall forming panel 30 extending from one side of the panel 28, a narrow top wall forming panel 32 adjoining the same and another side wall forming panel 34 at the end of blank section 12 which adjoins the top wall panel 32. A narrow panel forming a tucking tongue or strip 36, which extends along the end margin, is separated by the transverse score line 18 from the base panel 28 and a pair of transversely spaced locking slits 38, 38' are cut in the score line 18 for cooperation with transversely spaced locking tongue members 40, 40' which extend from the opposite end edge 42 of the blank. The locking tongues 40, 40' and cooperating slits 38, 38' are of well known construction and are interengaged in a well known manner to connect the panels when the blank is wrapped about a pair of light bulbs B in forming the tubular package shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

The blank sections 14, 14', which are adapted to form the retaining pockets for the light emitting, larger end portions of the glass bulb elements G of the light bulbs LB (FIGS. 1 to 4), extend laterally of the opposite edges 26, 26' of the one end of the main blank section 12 and are separated from the bottom wall forming panel 28 by scored portions 44, 44' of the edge lines 26, 26'. These panels are each divided in an identical manner into an apertured main support panels 46, 46' of rectangular configuration and narrow edge panels 47, 48, 50 and 47', 48', 50' which extend along three sides thereof and which are separated therefrom by hinge score lines 52, 53, 54 and 52', 53, 54', with the panels 50, 50' on the outermost edges having integral glue flaps 55, 55' separated therefrom by hinge score lines 56, 56'. The main support panels 46, 46' have a dimension in the direction transversely of the blank which is somewhat less than one half the width of the blank section 12 and a slightly greater dimension in the direction of the length of blank section 12 but less than the distance between the transverse score lines 18 and 20 in the form shown. The panels 46, 46' each have a circular opening 56, 56' cut therein with the centers thereof approximately in a transverse line bisecting the panel 28. The diameter of each opening 56, 56' is such that the glass end of the bulb will seat therein and not extend more than a small, predetermined distance beyond the plane of the apertured panel. The panels 47, 47' extend between the score lines 44, 52 and 44', 52' and have a dimension transversely of the blank section 12 which is appreciably greater than the distance the bulbs will project through the pocket defining apertures or openings 57, 57'. The other two edge panels 48, 50 and 48', 50' are substantially the same width as the panels 47, 47', and the glue flaps 55, 55' on the outermost edges are of slightly lesser width than the adjoining panels 50, 50'.

The blank sections 16, 16', which are adapted to provide pockets constituting supporting and retaining means for the base or power contact ends of the light bulbs, extend laterally of the opposite edges 26, 26' of the main blank section 12 on a line with the top wall forming panel 32. The lateral dimension of each of these panel forming sections 16, 16' is approximately the same as the corresponding dimension of the blank sections 14, 14', in the illustrated arrangement. The sections 16, 16', which are subdivided to provide a pocket forming supporting panel structure for the base portions of the light bulbs, are separated from the blank section 12 by hinge forming score line portions 60, 60' of the side edge formations 26, 26' of the blank section 12, which score line portions 60, 60' define the opposite end edges of the top wall forming panel 32. The blank sections 16, 16' are cut and scored in an identical manner so that the resultant panels are in an arrangement which is symmetrical about a transverse line bisecting the panel 32. The section 16, 16' are divided into apertured main support panels 62 62' of rectangular configuration and edge panels 63, 64, 65, 66 and 63', 64', 65', 66' which extend along the four sides or edges of panels 62, 62' and are separated therefrom by hinge forming score lines 67, 68, 70, 72 and 67', 68', 70', 72' with the panels 65, 65' on the outer edges having integral glue flaps 73, 73' divided therefrom by hinge score lines 74, 74'. The rectangular panels 62, 62' have a dimension in the direction transversely of the blank which is somewhat less than one half of the width of the blank section 12 and a dimension in the direction of the length of the blank which is somewhat greater than the corresponding dimension of the bottom wall forming panel 32. Generally circular apertures 75, 75' are cut in the panels 62, 62' which have their centers located approximately on a transverse line bisecting the panel 32. The apertures 75, 75' are of a size to receive the screw threaded base or mounting members M of the light bulbs LB and are located adjacent the outboard hinge scores 72, 72' in predetermined spaced relation to the opposite hinge scores 67, 67'. The inboard and outboard edge panels 63, 63' and 65, 65' have a width, that is, a dimension in the direction transverse of the blank, which is determined by the dimension of the light bulb mounting members M in the axial direction so that the members M may be seated in the apertures with the terminal ends in spaced relation relative to the wall panel 32 when the package is in the final form shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. The edge panels 64, 64' and 66, 66' have approximately the same width as the panels 63, 63' and 65, 65', that is, the same dimension in the direction lengthwise of the blank. The panels 63, 63' have foldable wing tabs 76, 77 and 76', 77' extending in the direction lengthwise of the blank section 12 and separated from the associated edge panels 63, 63' by score lines 78, 80 and 78', 80' which extend between corresponding ends of the score lines 60, 67 and 60', 67' and cooperate with the latter in defining the truncated triangular shaped end wall panels 63, 63'.

Preparatory to the packaging operations, the pocket forming panel assemblies are folded and secured in the position shown in FIG. 6. An adhesive is first applied to glue panels or glue tabs 55, 55' and 73, 73' and the extending panel forming sections 14, 14' are folded on the hinge lines 52, 52' which the sections 16, 16' are folded on the hinge lines 67, 67', respectively which positions the sections 14, 14' and 16, 16', as indicated in FIG. 6, in flattened relation on opposite sides of the main section 12 of the blank with the glue tabs 55, 55' secured in overlying relation on the panel 28 of the blank along the longitudinal center line a--a and with the glue tabs 73, 73' secured to the inside face of the top wall forming panel 32 and spaced on opposite sides of the centerline a--a. The blank forming operation is then completed and ready for the bulb enclosing operation.

In setting up the blank and folding it about the pair of bulbs LB the socket forming panel assemblies are erected so as to receive the end portions of the bulbs prior to or during the folding of the top, bottom and sidewall panels about the bulbs. The apertured panels 46, 46' are hinged into the position indicated in FIG. 7 about the hinge lines 44, 47, 54, 56 and 44', 47', 54', 56' and the edge panels 48, 48' are hinged on the lines 53, 53' into a plane parallel with the plane of the sidewall panel 34 when it is in the position shown in FIG. 4 with its margin overlying the tuck panel 36. The outboard glue panels 55, 55' which are secured to each other and to the bottom wall panel 28 on the longitudinal center line a--a space the bulb pocket assemblies so that when the glass ends of the bulbs are seated in the apertures 57, 57' the bulbs are out of contact. The pocket forming panel assemblies 16, 16' are erected by movement on the hinge lines 60, 67, 70, 74 so as to bring the apertured panels into planes spaced below the top wall panel 32. The wing tabs 76, 77 and 76', 77' are folded inwardly toward each other about the hinge lines 78, 80 and 78', 80' with the edge panels 64, 66 folded inwardly into planes parallel with the slanted sidewall panels 30, 34. The panels 62, 62' are positioned with the socket forming apertures 75, 75' aligned vertically with the apertures 57, 57' so as to receive the mounting members M of the bulbs and cooperate with the bottom socket formations in holding the bulbs in vertical position and out of contact with each other. The main panels 28, 30, 32 and 34 are, of course, folded about the hinge lines 20, 22 and 24, with the tuck panel 36 folded about the hinge line 18 and the locking tabs 40, 40' are engaged in the cooperating locking apertures so as to contain the bulbs in the tubular package thus formed. The panels are proportioned so as to form an open ended package (FIGS. 1 to 4) with the bulbs spaced from each other and from the sidewalls as well as from the top and bottom walls so as to afford protection against damage under ordinary handling and permitting stacking and multiple unit packing with maximum space economy and minimum risk of breakage.

In the form of the blank illustrated, the blank sections 16, 16' extend laterally or outboard of the edges 26, 26' approximately the same distance as the blank sections 14, 14', with overall dimensions of each of the sections 16, 16' and 14, 14' in the longitudinal direction of the blank being approximately the same. The blank sections 14, 14' are positioned opposite each other adjacent the one end of the blank and the sections 16, 16' are spaced from the sections 14, 14' a distance in the direction of the length of the blank corresponding to the dimension of the sections 14, 14' and 16, 16' in the same direction. The distance between the blank sections 16, 16' and the opposite end of the blank corresponds to the dimension of the sections 14, 14' in the longitudinal or lengthwise direction of the blank. The arrangement enables nesting of these sections in reverse relation for cutting from a blank or web with economy of material and minimum waste. That is, two carton blanks may be cut from a rectangular sheet area with the section 14 of one blank and the section 14' of the other blank at opposite ends and aligned in the longitudinal direction and with the two sections 16, 16' of the two blanks cut in side-by-side and longitudinally aligned relation in the area between the sections 14 and 14'. With this arrangement a number of blanks may be cut in nested relation across the width of a web with minimum waste and with maximum economy in the use of the material.