Display Package for Camera and Replaceable Consumable

The invention relates generally to the field of packaging, and in particular to a display package for a camera and a consumable such as a film cartridge and/or one or more batteries.

It is well known for a camera to be housed together with a film cartridge and/or one or more batteries in a display package in the form of a transparent clam shell container. Examples of display packages which are transparent clamshell containers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,353, issued Apr. 19, 1988, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 298,741, issued Nov. 29, 1988, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,984, issued Feb. 14, 1989.

Typically the camera and the consumable, i.e. the film cartridge and/or one or more batteries, are permanently sealed in the display package between transparent front wall and rear wall parts sealed at their peripheries. To obtain the camera and the consumable, one must break open the package.

If, however, the display package is not sold well before the expiration date of the film supply or the battery, the film supply or the battery should be replaced with a fresh one. This requires that the display package be broken open, which prevents it from being reused.

According to one aspect of the invention, a display package assembly comprising a clamshell container consisting of a front wall part and a rear part which together house a camera and a consumable such as a film cartridge and/or one or more batteries between them, is characterized in that:

the front wall and rear wall parts are permanently secured to each other to prevent removal of the camera from between them without breaking open the clamshell container;

the front wall part has a front opening opposite the consumable to permit removal of the consumable from between the front wall and rear wall parts without breaking open the clamshell container; and

a removable cover is connected to the front wall part to be located over the front opening, and can be removed from over the front opening without breaking the front wall part.

Thus, if the display package assembly is not sold well before the expiration date of the film supply or the battery, the film supply or the battery can be readily replaced with a fresh one without the clamshell container being broken open.

According to another aspect of the invention, a display package comprising a main closed portion configured to house a camera, and another closed portion configured to house a consumable such as a film cartridge and/or one or more batteries, is characterized in that:

the main portion for housing a camera is permanently sealed to prevent removal of the camera from the main portion without breaking open the main body portion; and

the other portion for housing a consumable has a removable cover to permit the other portion to be opened and re-closed to replace the consumable without breaking open the other portion.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a display package for a camera and a replaceable consumable according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the display package;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the display package; and

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation view of the display package.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1-4 show a display package assembly 10 comprising a transparent plastic flexible clamshell container 12 consisting of a front wall part 14 and a rear wall part 16 secured together along a rectangular periphery 18. The front wall and rear wall parts 14 and 16 house a camera 20 and a consumable 22 such as a film cartridge and/or one or more batteries between them.

The rear wall part 16 is shaped to form respective blown-out rear cavities 24 and 26 which partially hold the camera 20 and the consumable 22 as shown in FIG. 2. A cardboard, flat, rectangular, information-bearing display card 28 is constrained between the front wall and rear wall parts 16 and 18 and has respective holes 30 and 32 surrounding the rear cavities 24 and 26 as shown in FIG. 2.

To remove the camera 20 from the rear cavity 24, one must break open the clamshell container 12 such as by separating the front wall and rear wall parts 14 and 16 along the sealed periphery 18. Conversely, the front wall part 16 has a blown-in front opening 34 which leads to and surrounds the hole 32 in the display card 28 to permit removal of the consumable 22 through the front opening from the rear cavity 26 without having to break open the clamshell container 12. A transparent plastic flexible snap-out front cover 36 has a peripheral tongue 38 that is received in a continuous groove 40 in the front wall part 14, within the front opening 34, to removably engage the front cover to the front wall part over the front opening. See FIGS. 1 and 2. The front cover 36 is temporarily disengaged from the front wall part 14 to permit replacement of the consumable 22.

The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. However, it will be appreciated that variations and modifications can be effected by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. For example instead of the front cover 36 being attached to the front wall part 14 via the tongue 36 and the groove 40, the front cover could be pivotally connected to the front wall part.

10. display package assembly

12. clamshell container

14. front wall part

16. rear wall part

18. sealed periphery

20. camera

22. consumable

24. rear cavity

26. rear cavity

28. display card

30. card hole

32. card hole

34. front opening

36. front cover

38. tongue

40. groove