Tool package

[0002] Tools such as screwdrivers, pliers, saw blades and measuring tools are often displayed at the point of sales by hanging individual packages onto pegs, where upper end of the individual package is a flat card with an opening to fit the peg. The card also carries information about the tool, including price, manufacturer and usage. During transport from the manufacturer to the point of sales, several individual packages are shipped together in a multiple package.

[0003] To facilitate recycling of packaging material from individual as well as multiple packages, they should be as small and simple as possible without impairing their ability to keep the tools from damaging or scratching each other. The present invention concerns a type of individual package, where the card with its information is openly visible to the customer when the tool is displayed by hanging from a peg at the point of sales, and relocated behind the tool as a protective intermediate layer when several individual packages are gathered in a multiple package. The card is also better protected from bending or creasing.

[0004] The invention is described with reference to the figures, where FIGS. 1 and 2 show an induvidual package for a wrench, FIG. 3 a rivet part of it, FIGS. 4 and 5 an individual package for a plier and FIG. 6 a clip part of it.

[0005] Tools (10) with an essentially flat shape and a hole (11) near one end should be attached to a card (12) as shown in FIG. 1 with the hole against one end of the card, which carries product information (14) in the middle and a peg opening (13) at the other end. The tool is attached to the card by a rivet (15) which cannot be removed without visible damage to the rivet or to the card. This ensures that the product information will accompany the tool until it has reached the user. When the tool is to be put in a multiple package, the card is rotated around the rivet (15) until it is behind the tool (10) as shown in FIG. 2. The height of the card should preferably not exceed the length of the tool. The rivet is fastened to the card in a way that it is not easily removable, such as by heat deformation, by barbs, or as shown in FIG. 3 by wings (16) which are unfolded after they have penetrated the card, and become locked in this position by support elements (18) which are caught by a locking element (17) when the wings are unfolded. The wings (16) can be folded back and the rivet be removed if the locking element (17) is cut off. If the hole (11) is round, the rivet may have an arbitrary cross-section. If the hole has another shape, the rivet can have a round section, or be rotatable relative to the card (12).

[0006] Tools without a hole (11) can be fastened to the card (12) if the rivet head is specially shaped to grip the tool, with or without auxiliary pieces.

[0007] Tools which are not suitable to have one end fastened to the card, such as pliers (20), where the jaws at one end should be exposed to show their function and use, and the handles at the opposite end should simultaneously be exposed to let a buyer feel if they fit his hand, can be attached to a card in such a way that the card extends above the tool when it is displayed at the point of sale, as shown in FIG. 4. This is done with a clip (22) shaped to fit the tool (20) in such a way that the tool can not be removed from the card without damaging the clip or the card. One way to do this is to make the clip forming two passageways for the handles of the tool. The clip cooperates with the card in such a way that the card can be slid down behind the tool (20) as shown in FIG. 5. The clip (22) should be attached to the card in a slideable but not removeable way by penetrating one or more slots (23) or gripping the edges, and held by heat deformation or as shown in FIG. 6 by barbs (24). To remove the card from the tool (20) it is necessary to cut or break the clip or a locking element part of it.

[0008] To allow a smaller multiple package, the size of the card should be such that it will fit behind the tool, and has height and width not exceeding the height and width of the tool. For secure locating of the tools in the multiple package the width of the card should preferably be approximately equal to the greatest width of the tool.

[0009] The card can be made from various materials, such as cardboard or plastics. The rivet (15) or the clip (22) should preferably be made from plastics, such as polypropylene.