Package for consumer goods

Abstract

The package (10) comprises a compartment (12) for containing consumer goods (100). The package (10) is movable from a first configuration (10A), in which the compartment (12) is not accessible, to a second configuration (10B), in which the compartment (12) is exposed to allow access to an interior of the compartment. The package (10) further comprises an elastic portion configured to move the package from the first configuration (10A) towards the second configuration (10B), where the elastic portion (14) comprises at least one wall portion (16) of the compartment (12) that remains compressed when the package (10) is in the first configuration (10A). Each wall portion (16) may be configured to unfold when the package (10) is moved from the first configuration (10A) to the second configuration (10B) to allow the consumer goods (100) to be removed from the compartment (12) when the package (10) is in the second configuration (10B).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to packaging for consumer products, such as consumer products associated with aerosol delivery systems (including components thereof). Background Art

[0002] Currently existing packaging is used to contain consumer goods in such a way that these consumer goods are stored (eg, stored in a store) before they are used / purchased by an end user.

[0003] A potential disadvantage of existing packaging in the above aspects is that it is often challenging for those with limited bimanual function (e.g., those with disabilities who can only use one hand and / or those with conditions that affect their dexterity, such as those with Parkinson's disease) to open the packaging.

[0004] Various approaches are described herein that seek to help solve or alleviate some of the problems discussed above by providing a package that can be more easily opened by those affected by the above-mentioned conditions. Summary of the invention

[0005] According to a first aspect of certain embodiments, there is provided a package comprising a compartment for containing a consumer product;

[0006] wherein the package is movable from a first configuration in which the compartment is inaccessible to a second configuration in which the compartment is exposed to allow access to the interior of the compartment;

[0007] The package also includes:

[0008] A resilient portion is configured to move the package from the first configuration toward the second configuration, wherein the resilient portion includes at least one wall portion of the compartment that remains compressed when the package is in the first configuration.

[0009] According to a second aspect of some embodiments, there is provided an assembly comprising a package according to the first aspect and further comprising a consumable product located in the first compartment.

[0010] According to a third aspect of some embodiments, there is provided a sheet of material configured to be folded along a plurality of fold lines to produce a package according to the first aspect, or a package comprising:

[0011] compartments for containing consumer goods;

[0012] wherein the package includes a retaining mechanism having an engaged position, the retaining mechanism being configured to retain the package in the first configuration when the package is in the first configuration;

[0013] Therein, the retaining mechanism is configured to be movable from an engaged position to a disengaged position to subsequently allow the resilient portion of the package to move the package from the first configuration toward the second configuration.

[0014] According to a fourth aspect of some embodiments, there is provided a method of forming a package according to the first aspect using a single sheet of material.

[0015] According to a fifth aspect of some embodiments, there is provided a method of opening a package comprising a compartment for containing consumer goods, wherein the method comprises:

[0016] disengaging a retaining mechanism that retains the package in the first configuration from the package; and

[0017] At least one wall portion of the compartment that remains compressed when the package is in the first configuration is expanded to move the package from the first configuration to a second configuration in which the compartment is exposed to allow access to the interior of the compartment.

[0018] It will be appreciated that the features and aspects of the invention described above with respect to multiple aspects of the invention are equally applicable to, and may be appropriately combined with, embodiments of the invention according to other aspects of the invention, and not just in the specific combinations described herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0020] Figure 1 A plan view of a sheet of material according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure is shown, the sheet of material being capable of being folded to form a package for containing consumer goods, such as according to Figures 2A to 2G Those packages shown;

[0021] Figure 2A For example, Figure 1 The use of a sheet of material as shown in the embodiment of the present invention, the sheet of material is folded to form a package for containing consumer products;

[0022] Figure 2B Shows Figure 2A The sheet of material in the further folding stage to form a package for containing a consumer product;

[0023] Figure 2C Shows Figure 2B The sheet of material in the further folding stage to form a package for containing a consumer product;

[0024] Figure 2D Shows Figure 2C The sheet of material in the further folding stage to form a package for containing a consumer product;

[0025] Figure 2E Shows Figure 2D a package in a final folded stage, in which the package is in a first configuration, in which the package includes a compartment for containing the consumer product, and in which the compartment is inaccessible;

[0026] Figure 2F to Figure 2G Shows Figure 2E The packaging in Figure 2E The first configuration shown in the move to Figure 2G In the second configuration shown in , the compartment is exposed to allow access to the interior of the compartment, and the movement follows Figure 2E The elastic part of the package shown in Figure 2F The intermediate configuration shown in the figure enables the packaging to be changed from Figure 2E The first configuration shown in the move to Figure 2G The second configuration shown in . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Various aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments are discussed / described herein. Some aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments may be conventionally implemented, and for the sake of brevity, these aspects and features will not be discussed / described in detail. It is therefore understood that aspects and features of the apparatus and methods not described in detail herein may be implemented according to any conventional techniques for implementing these aspects and features.

[0028] The present disclosure relates to packaging for containing consumer products, such as, in particular embodiments, consumer products associated with an aerosol delivery system and / or components thereof. Figures 1 to 2G 10 is a package 10 that includes a compartment for accommodating consumer goods 100. The package can be moved from a first configuration 10A to a second configuration 10B, in which the compartment 12 is inaccessible, and in which the compartment is exposed to allow access to the interior of the compartment 12.

[0029] In order to help promote this movement from the first configuration 10A to the second configuration 10B, the packaging also includes an elastic portion 14, which is configured to move the packaging from the first configuration 10A toward the second configuration 10B. In general terms, the elastic portion can be any part of the packaging 10 that helps to achieve movement toward the second configuration 10B, such as a spring member, or any other member that keeps compression when the packaging is in the first configuration. However, with reference to some specific embodiments, such as those shown in the accompanying drawings, the elastic portion 14 may include at least one wall portion 16, 16A, 16B of the compartment 12 that keeps compression when the packaging 10 is in the first configuration 10A, in some embodiments.

[0030] Thus, at a general level, it can be seen that by providing such an elastic portion 14 that enables the package to be moved from the first configuration 10A towards the second configuration 10B, it can be made easier for a person with limited ambidextrous function to open the package to its second configuration 10B. This is because the elastic portion 14 can replace some of the work and / or effort of the user, who would otherwise have to manually move / open the package 10 to its second configuration 10B with their own hands.

[0031] It can be seen that according to some embodiments, such as those shown in the accompanying drawings, in some more specific embodiments, the at least one wall portion 16 may include a first wall portion 16A and a second wall portion 16B. In this way, as shown in the embodiment associated with the accompanying drawings, the first wall portion 16A may be located at the first end 12A of the compartment 12, and the second wall portion 16B is located at the second end 12B of the compartment 12, wherein the second end 12B of the compartment 12 may be opposite to the first end 12A of the compartment. However, it is clearly understood that the position of each wall portion 16 may depend to a certain extent on the geometric structure of the compartment 12 used as a part of the package 10 as a whole. Therefore, it may not always be the case that the first wall portion 16A and the second wall portion 16B must be provided at the opposite first end 12A and the second end 12B of the compartment 12.

[0032] During the movement of the package 10 from the first configuration 10A to the second configuration 10B, it can be seen that each wall portion 16 can be configured to unfold when the package moves from the first configuration 10A to the second configuration 10B. This can be seen with reference to the embodiment of the package 10 shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein each wall portion 16, 16A, 16B is configured to be in a folded state when the package 10 is in the first configuration 10A. Through this folding action, it can be seen that the folded state of each wall portion 16 helps to provide a biasing force to help automatically pop open the package 10 when the package 10 moves from the first configuration 10A to the second configuration 10B. Figure 2E to Figure 2G The illustrated embodiment shows this movement, whereby the user's hand helps control the package 10 from Figure 2E The first configuration shown in 10A opens / moves to Figure 2G In this regard, the user's hands are therefore used to control / resist the biasing force from each wall portion 16 that biases the package 10 from the first configuration 10A to the second configuration 10B.

[0033] To the extent that each wall portion 16, 16A, 16B can be configured to be in a folded state when the package 10 is in the first configuration 10A, this can also serve to provide the associated benefit of being able to better protect the consumer product 100 from unwanted impacts / collisions that would otherwise occur at the ends 12A, 12B of the compartment 12 in which each wall portion 16, 16A, 16B is located. In other words, it can be seen that in some embodiments, each wall portion 16 (and its folded portion) is configured to act as a buffer 18 to reduce the transmission of impact forces F1, F2 on the compartment 12 / package 10 to any consumable product 100 located in the compartment 12 when the package 10 is in the first configuration 10A.

[0034] To help maintain the package 10 in its first configuration 10A when the package 10 is not in use (e.g., when the package 10 is on a shelf in a store or in a user's home), the package may also include a connector having an engagement location 20A (e.g., such as Figure 2E 10A) is provided with a retaining mechanism 20 configured to retain the package in the first configuration 10A when the package is in the first configuration 10A. Such a retaining mechanism may take a variety of forms as desired, such as tying a portion of a material (e.g., a piece of fabric / rope) around the package 10 when the package is in its first configuration 10A for retaining the package in the first configuration 10A. Alternatively, the retaining mechanism 20 may include an adhesive portion 22 from a first portion 24 of the package, the first portion being configured to adhere to a second portion 26 of the package when the package 10 is in its first configuration 10A. Another possibility of the retaining mechanism 20 is to include a flap 28 from the package 10, the flap being configured to engage with a slot 30 in the package when the package 10 is in its first configuration 10A so as to retain the package in its first configuration 10A.

[0035] Regardless of the mechanism employed, it can be seen that the retaining mechanism 20 is configured to move from an engaged position 20A to a disengaged position 20B (e.g., as shown in FIG. Figure 2F ), to allow the elastic portion 14 to move the package 10 from the first configuration 10A toward the second configuration 10B.

[0036] To facilitate the movement of the package 10 from the first configuration 10A toward the second configuration 10, in some embodiments, the package 10 may include at least one fold line 30, along which the compartment 12 is configured to unfold when the package moves from the first configuration 10A to the second configuration 10B. In some embodiments, such as those shown in the accompanying drawings, the at least one fold line 30 may include a plurality of fold lines 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D, and in some more specific embodiments, the at least one fold line may be a plurality of fold lines 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D that are parallel to each other.

[0037] With respect to some embodiments (such as those shown in the accompanying drawings), these fold lines 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D may in some cases be located between the first end 12A of the compartment 12 and the second end 12B of the compartment 12, depending on the geometry / shape of the compartment.

[0038] To help the user grip the package 10 in use, in some embodiments (such as those shown in the drawings), the package may include at least one recessed portion 32 to enable the user to better grip the package when the package is in the first configuration 10A. To better prevent the user from injuring themselves around potentially sharp fold lines, and to give the package a better profile to make it easier to grip in these situations, in some embodiments (again, depending on the embodiments in the drawings), each recessed portion 32 may intersect one of the at least one fold line 30.

[0039] With respect to the geometry of any such recessed portions 32, in order to better enable a user to grasp the package in a semi-clenched hand, as shown in the embodiments associated with the accompanying drawings, in some embodiments, each recessed portion 32 can specifically form a concave depression, and the user's hand can be configured to engage with the concave depression when grasping the package 10.

[0040] Regarding the material of the package 10, it is understood that the package 10 can be made of any desired material that has the necessary rigidity to provide a certain safety for the consumer goods 100 located in the compartment 12 of the package 10 during use. Therefore, in some applications, the package is likely to be made of plastic. However, in some more environmentally friendly options (which may also have other advantages that will be described), the package can be made of cardboard, which can include recycled cardboard in some more limited embodiments.

[0041] When using paperboard and any other material that may have a certain degree of foldability, this can also make the package 10 described herein formed from a sheet of material (which may initially be flat), such as with Figures 1 to 2E As shown in the specific folding operation related to the embodiment shown in . Due to this arrangement, it can be seen that this single material sheet can be used to form the shape of the first compartment 12 of the package 10. In essence, this ability of the package 10 can thus significantly make the package 10 easier to manufacture / form into its final shape.

[0042] With the foregoing in mind, and at a general level, it can be seen that the present disclosure also provides a method of using a single sheet of material 11 (e.g., in conjunction with Figure 1In the method of forming any of the packages described herein from a single sheet of material shown in the related embodiments, the single sheet of material can be a single sheet of material that can be folded to form the shape of the first compartment 12 of the package 10.

[0043] With respect to the geometry of the package 10 and the geometry of the first compartment 12, it will be appreciated that the package and the first compartment may have any desired geometry, depending on the contents that the compartment 12 is configured to hold in use. In principle, any consumer product or more generally any article may be located in the compartment 12 as desired. However, the present package 10 described herein may have a specific application for containing consumer products associated with an aerosol delivery system. Therefore, according to some more specific embodiments, the first compartment 12 may include any of the following:

[0044] i) Consumer goods;

[0045] ii) accessories for use with such consumer products; and / or

[0046] iii) labels / instructions for such consumer products.

[0047] For example, one application may include a compartment 12 containing a consumer product 100, such as an aerosol supply system (or possibly a disposable aerosol supply system) or a consumable for such an aerosol supply system, wherein the consumable / aerosol supply system includes a reservoir containing an aerosolizable material.

[0048] In other embodiments, the consumable product 100 as well as accessories (such as a possible charging cable or cleaning accessories) or labels / instructions for (or associated with) the consumable product may be located in the first compartment 12 .

[0049] Other consumer products not necessarily associated with the aerosol supply / generating system may also be located in compartment 12, such as wearable consumer products (eg earrings or some other form of jewelry).

[0050] Whatever the content of the compartment 12, the package described herein has application in allowing access to the compartment in a particularly convenient manner when the package is in the second configuration 10B.

[0051] That is, in order to tightly contain the consumer product in the form of an aerosol supply system, the aerosol supply system may well include an elongated and / or generally cylindrical shape, and in some embodiments (such as those shown in the drawings, and possibly other embodiments) it may be the case that at least one of the package 10 and the first compartment 12 has a substantially triangular cross-section in the first configuration 10A. This arrangement and geometry may be helpful, especially for facilitating storage / stacking when the package 10 is not in use (e.g., when sold / stacked on a shelf in a store where the package 10 is displayed).

[0052] As can be seen from the foregoing disclosure, the present disclosure also provides a related method for opening a package 10, which includes a compartment 12 for accommodating consumer goods 100, wherein the method includes: disengaging a retaining mechanism 20 that holds the package 10 in a first configuration 10A from the package 10. Thus, the method may then include expanding at least one wall portion 16 of the compartment 12 that remains compressed when the package 10 is in the first configuration 10A, so as to move the package 10 from the first configuration 10A to a second configuration 10B, in which the compartment 12 is exposed to allow access to the interior of the compartment. With respect to these methods, it will be understood that in some embodiments, at least disengaging the retaining mechanism 20 that holds the package 10 in the first configuration 10A can be performed by a single hand of a user, such as, for example, with reference to Figure 2E to Figure 2G The illustrated embodiment can be seen to thus facilitate easier use by those who have limited use of both hands.

[0053] Also according to these methods, it can be appreciated that in some more specific embodiments, the method can initially also include grasping the package 10 around at least one recessed portion 32 of the package 10, wherein each recessed portion 32 intersects at least one fold line 30, and the compartment 12 is configured to expand along the fold line when the package moves from the first configuration 10A to the second configuration 10B.

[0054] In view of the above, a package is accordingly described, the package comprising a compartment for containing a consumer product;

[0055] wherein the package is movable from a first configuration in which the compartment is inaccessible to a second configuration in which the compartment is exposed to allow access to the interior of the compartment;

[0056] The package also includes:

[0057] A resilient portion is configured to move the package from the first configuration toward the second configuration, wherein the resilient portion comprises at least one wall portion of the compartment that remains compressed when the package is in the first configuration.

[0058] Also described is an assembly comprising a package as described above, wherein the assembly further comprises a consumer product located in the first compartment.

[0059] Also described is a sheet of material configured to be folded along a plurality of fold lines to make any of the packages as described above and the packages comprising:

[0060] compartments for containing consumer goods;

[0061] wherein the package includes a retaining mechanism having an engaged position, the retaining mechanism being configured to retain the package in the first configuration when the package is in the first configuration;

[0062] Therein, the retaining mechanism is configured to be movable from an engaged position to a disengaged position to subsequently allow the resilient portion of the package to move the package from the first configuration toward the second configuration.

[0063] Also described is a method of forming any package as described above using a single sheet of material.

[0064] Also described is a method of opening a package comprising a compartment for containing consumer goods, wherein the method comprises:

[0065] disengaging a retaining mechanism that retains the package in the first configuration from the package; and

[0066] At least one wall portion of the compartment that remains compressed when the package is in the first configuration is expanded to move the package from the first configuration to a second configuration in which the compartment is exposed to allow access to the interior of the compartment.

[0067] Also described is a package 10 comprising a compartment 12 for accommodating a consumer product 100. The package 10 can be moved from a first configuration 10A, in which the compartment 12 is inaccessible, to a second configuration 10B, in which the compartment 12 is exposed to allow access to the interior of the compartment 12. The package 10 also includes an elastic portion configured to move the package from the first configuration 10A toward the second configuration 10B, wherein the elastic portion includes at least one wall portion of the compartment 12 that remains compressed when the package 10 is in the first configuration 10A. Each wall portion can be configured to expand when the package 10 is moved from the first configuration 10A to the second configuration 10B to allow the consumer product 100 to be removed from the compartment 12 when the package 10 is in the second configuration 10B.

[0068] In order to solve various problems and promote technological progress, the present disclosure shows by way of illustration that multiple embodiments of the claimed invention can be practiced. The advantages and features of the present disclosure are only representative examples of these embodiments, and are not exhaustive and / or exclusive. These embodiments are presented only to help understand and teach the claimed invention. It should be understood that the advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures and / or other aspects of the present disclosure should not be considered as limitations on the present disclosure defined by the claims or limitations on the equivalents of the claims, and other embodiments may be adopted and may be modified without departing from the scope of the claims. In addition to those elements, components, features, parts, steps, devices, etc. specifically described herein, multiple embodiments may appropriately include, contain or substantially contain a combination of disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, devices, etc., and it is therefore understood that the features of the dependent claims may be combined with the features of the independent claims in combinations other than those combinations explicitly set forth in the claims. For example, as required, any dependent claim associated with independent claim 1 (or other independent claims) may be adopted accordingly as the corresponding features in any related independent claim listed in the claims. It is also apparent that the present disclosure may include other inventions that are not currently claimed but may be claimed in the future.

[0069] For the sake of completeness only, it will also be appreciated that in some embodiments, the compartment 12 may also include a viewing portion in some embodiments for allowing viewing into the compartment when the package is in the first configuration 10A (and possibly also when the package is in the second configuration 10B). With regard to this viewing portion, in some embodiments, the viewing portion 42 may obviously include an at least partially transparent or at least partially translucent portion of the compartment, such as a portion made of a transparent plastic. By providing this viewing portion 42, a user may be allowed to confirm that the associated compartment contains the specific consumer product they desire. For the sake of illustration only, in the description of Figure 1 An example of such an observation portion 42 implemented is shown in an illustrative modification of the embodiment in , wherein the observation portion 42 may include an at least partially transparent portion of the first compartment 12, and the portion defines a rectangular window for observing the first compartment 12. Here, the observation portion 42 may be made of a transparent material film, for example.

[0070] It can also be understood that in some embodiments where the consumer product 100 in the compartment 12 has the possibility of leakage, such as a consumer product 100 containing an aerosolizable material, or any other fluid that may leak from the consumer product when the consumer product 100 is stored in the compartment 12, in some of these embodiments (e.g., as shown in the embodiments in the accompanying drawings), the consumer product 100 can be wrapped when it is located in the compartment 12 to prevent any contents of the consumer product 100 from leaking into the compartment. This can be seen, for example, in embodiments associated with the accompanying drawings, in which the consumer product 100 is contained in a sealed container 102 in the form of a sealed (and possibly flexible) bag 104. However, it is obvious that other forms of sealed containers 102 can be used instead, such as a blister pack that optionally wraps the consumer product 100. In each case, in order to facilitate easy access to the sealed container 102, the sealed container 102 can include a removable portion or tearable portion 106 to serve as an entry point for a user to access the consumer product 100 located in the container 102.

Claims

1. A package comprising a compartment for containing consumer goods; in, the package being movable from a first configuration in which the compartment is inaccessible to a second configuration in which the compartment is exposed to allow access to the interior of the compartment; Wherein, the packaging also includes: A resilient portion is configured to move the package from the first configuration toward the second configuration, wherein the resilient portion comprises at least one wall portion of the compartment that remains compressed when the package is in the first configuration.

2. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein: At least one of the wall portions comprises a first wall portion and a second wall portion.

3. The package according to claim 2, wherein: The first wall portion is located at a first end of the compartment and the second wall portion is located at a second end of the compartment.

4. The package according to claim 3, wherein: The second end of the compartment is positioned opposite the first end of the compartment.

5. A package according to any preceding claim, wherein: Each of the wall portions is configured to unfold when the package is moved from the first configuration to the second configuration.

6. A package according to any preceding claim, wherein: Each of the wall portions is configured to be in a folded state when the package is in the first configuration.

7. A package according to any preceding claim, wherein: The package further includes a retaining mechanism having an engaged position, the retaining mechanism configured to retain the package in the first configuration when the package is in the first configuration; Wherein the retaining mechanism is configured to be movable from the engaged position to a disengaged position to subsequently allow the resilient portion to move the package from the first configuration toward the second configuration.

8. A package according to any preceding claim, wherein: The package further comprises at least one fold line, the compartment being configured to unfold along the fold line when the package is moved from the first configuration to the second configuration.

9. The package according to claim 8, wherein: At least one of the folding lines includes a plurality of the folding lines.

10. The package according to claim 9, wherein: The plurality of folding lines are parallel to each other.

11. A package according to claim 9 or 10, when further dependent on claim 4, wherein: A plurality of the fold lines are located between the first end of the compartment and the second end of the compartment.

12. A package according to any preceding claim, wherein The package comprises at least one recessed portion for allowing a user to better grip the package when the package is in the first configuration.

13. A package according to claim 12, when further dependent on at least claim 8, wherein: Each of the recessed portions intersects one of the at least one folding lines.

14. A package according to any preceding claim, wherein The package is formed from a sheet of material.

15. A package according to any preceding claim, wherein The package is made of cardboard.

16. A package according to any preceding claim, wherein The package has a substantially triangular cross-section when in the first configuration.

17. A package according to any preceding claim, wherein The consumer product is an aerosol supply system comprising a reservoir containing an aerosolizable material.

18. A package according to any preceding claim, wherein The compartment includes a viewing portion for allowing viewing into the compartment when the package is in the first configuration.

19. An assembly comprising a package according to any preceding claim and further comprising a consumer product located in the first compartment.

20. A sheet of material configured to be folded along a plurality of fold lines to form a package, the package comprising: compartments for containing consumer goods; wherein the package comprises a retaining mechanism having an engaged position, the retaining mechanism being configured to retain the package in the first configuration when the package is in the first configuration; Wherein the retaining mechanism is configured to be movable from the engaged position to a disengaged position to subsequently allow the resilient portion of the package to move the package from the first configuration toward the second configuration.

21. A method of forming a package according to any one of claims 1 to 18 using a single sheet of material.

22. A method of opening a package comprising a compartment for containing consumer goods, wherein: The method comprises: disengaging a retaining mechanism that retains the package in a first configuration from the package; and At least one wall portion of the compartment that remains compressed when the package is in the first configuration is expanded to move the package from the first configuration to a second configuration in which the compartment is exposed to allow access to the interior of the compartment.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein: The step of disengaging the retaining mechanism holding the package in the first configuration can be performed by a user with a single hand.

24. The method according to claim 22 or 23, wherein: The method initially also includes: The package is gripped about at least one recessed portion of the package, wherein each recessed portion intersects at least one fold line, the compartment being configured to unfold along the fold line when the package is moved from the first configuration to the second configuration.

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