HK1196344A - Environmentally sustainable secondary packaging - Google Patents

Description

Environmentally sustainable secondary packaging

Cross reference to related patent applications

This patent application is a continuation-in-part application having an earlier filing date of U.S. patent application 29/364,833 filed on 6-29/2010 and U.S. patent application 29/366,821 filed on 30/7/2010, which are hereby incorporated by reference as if fully disclosed herein, and claims benefit hereof.

Technical Field

The invention relates to secondary packaging. More particularly, the present invention relates to secondary packaging of articles, preferably consumer articles, which allows for immediate visual display of the articles contained therein while preventing direct touching of such products, and preferably while also reducing the materials required to form such secondary packaging.

Background

There are known in the art a variety of secondary packages for enclosing consumer goods (to prevent touching the consumer goods prior to purchase) while also displaying the goods so that the consumer can visually inspect (inspect) or check (amine) (hereinafter for convenience reference will be made only to "inspect" ("inspect"), understood as terms such as "inspect" and "check" ("amine") and "view" ("view") and other similar terms being substantially interchangeable) the products contained therein. One common such secondary package is a half-clamshell or clamshell package formed from at least one substantially light-transmissive plastic element that encloses the product, such that the product can be visually inspected by the consumer prior to purchase. The plastic element is typically formed in a desired shape, such as by thermoforming or cold forming or vacuum forming or otherwise shaping, to hold the product in place within the secondary package. The formed plastic element is coupled to a back card (e.g., a cardboard card on which product information is provided), or sealed to another plastic sheet, or enclosed in a box (e.g., a cardboard or plastic box), to prevent unnecessary or unauthorized access to the product in the package.

Since consumers typically require information about the product to be purchased, and since manufacturers typically require branding information and other information (e.g., graphics, slogans, etc.) specific to the consumer on the secondary packaging, and various agencies may require (or support) information about the product contained within the secondary packaging (e.g., the fact of a medication required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or information about electrical equipment approved or approved by the U.S. Occupational Safety and health Administration, or the U.S. Underwriters laboratories (Underwriters)) Device or product authentication) with a transparent element, the secondary package having a transparent element typically also includes a substantially opaque packaging element on which such information can be displayed. For example, a half clamshell secondary package typically includes a backer card (typically formed of paperboard) to which a formed light-transmissive plastic packaging element (often referred to as a "blister" portion or element) is attached to close the open end of the blister, thereby closing the blisterThe consumer product is enclosed between the blister and the backer card. Even if a half clamshell secondary package is formed from two plastic components (a formed blister portion and a flat back portion), a paper or paperboard component is typically enclosed between the two plastic components to provide product information to the consumer. Such secondary packages typically include a hanging hole through which a peg may be inserted to hang the package from the peg board for display to a consumer.

Clamshell secondary packaging provides increased visibility of consumer products by nearly or completely enclosing the consumer product using a substantially transparent packaging material, most commonly plastic. For example, clamshell secondary packaging typically encases the product in two preformed transparent sheets (or a single sheet folded to encase the product). Typically, such packages are sealable to resist accidental opening or to not significantly damage the opening of the package (such as by cutting along a line of weakness, via a tear strip, or opening using scissors, etc.). As mentioned above, it is often desirable to provide information about a product for a consumer to peruse. Accordingly, clamshell secondary packages also typically enclose a substrate carrying such information, such as a product information card or printed paper sheet. Enclosing items other than the consumer product itself results in an increase in the size of the secondary packaging enclosing such items and, therefore, in an increase in material requirements. An alternative to enclosing a substrate carrying such information within a transparent clamshell material is to enclose a clamshell within such a substrate, such as within a cardboard box carrying product information. Such alternatives also result in increased material requirements. In addition, the external substrate carrying the information tends to obstruct or block the visibility of the product contained within the package.

It is also desirable to impart tamper-evident structure to the secondary package to inhibit or prevent unauthorized access to one or more products (products) contained therein. Typically, clamshell packages require sealing of their components. Such seals require heating equipment and sufficient production time to form the seal. In addition, such seals often make the package difficult to open, even for the intended customer.

In light of the foregoing, there is a need for secondary packaging that allows consumers to view consumer products contained therein and provide information about such consumer products while also minimizing the amount of material required to form such secondary packaging. There is also a need for a package that prevents undesired or unauthorized access to the contents of the package, preferably forms a seal without requiring additional processing steps, and does not render the package too difficult for an authorized individual to open.

Disclosure of Invention

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the secondary package is formed to allow ready viewing of the product contained therein. Preferably, the secondary package is also formed to provide sufficient information about the product for the purchaser to peruse. In addition, in accordance with the principles of the present invention, the secondary package is preferably formed in a manner that requires less material and lower cost manufacturing steps than prior art secondary packages.

According to one aspect of the invention, the secondary package is formed from: an at least partially transparent article retaining/displaying member for retaining and displaying an article, such as a consumer article (for simplicity, generally referred to herein as an "article" and intended to be limiting), and a minimum amount of at least partially transparent material for enclosing the article within the article retaining/displaying member to prevent the article from being removed therefrom. The transparent material is preferably a sheet of base material that is not processed (e.g., not molded or otherwise processed) beyond the base structure from which a typical transparent packaging component is formed. Preferably, the sheet of material is wrapped around the item retention/display member to conform to the shape of the item retention/display member. The resulting secondary package may thus have a unique shape that depends substantially on the shape of the article retaining/display member.

According to another aspect of the present invention, implemented alone or in combination with the above aspects of the present invention, a secondary package having a unique shape is provided to enhance inspection of the product contained therein while also supplementing, enhancing or highlighting the unique form of the item contained therein. In one embodiment, the secondary package comprises an article holding/display member in the form of an article tray having a non-rectangular cross-section (taken along the longitudinal axis) and a cover element that encloses the articles in the article tray and also matches the shape of the article tray, such that the secondary package generally has the unique shape of the article tray.

According to a separate and independent aspect of the invention, which may be considered to be related to but not necessarily provided in connection with the above-described aspects of the invention, the secondary package may be formed with at least partially non-transparent elements having printed material (such as product information, logos, decorative elements, etc.) provided thereon. It is preferable to form the non-transparent member to complement the transparent member so as not to reduce the display effect of the contents in the secondary package. Preferably, the non-transparent element is formed to complement, reinforce or highlight the item within the secondary package. Thus, a unique combination of product display material and material carrying product information may be provided in accordance with the principles of the present invention such that a uniquely shaped secondary package is formed as a result of the combination and not as a result of the manufacturing process performed on the material (e.g., as a result of the shape of the mold used to form the transparent packaging material). In one embodiment, the non-transparent element is in the form of a partial carton. Such a configuration preferably optimizes the visibility of the articles displayed within the secondary package (partial carton, which has fewer and/or shorter walls to block the articles within the secondary package) and may be formed to complement, enhance or highlight the display of the articles within the secondary package. For example, in one embodiment, the panel may be formed or configured to display an element of an article.

It should be understood that many of the above principles of the present invention support the creation of environmentally sustainable secondary packaging. For example, a secondary package formed according to one or more principles of the present invention preferably requires fewer process steps (such as by using a sheet of material that has not yet been formed into another shape to enclose an article within the article retaining/display member), less material (such as by not having a sheet of material cover all sides of the article retaining/display member, and by forming a partial rather than a full carton), and more environmentally friendly material (such as more environmentally friendly inks for printing on non-transparent materials than for printing on transparent materials; and the use of non-transparent (typically paper-based) materials to carry printed materials is generally less costly and more environmentally friendly than transparent (typically plastic) materials than is required for prior art secondary packages.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the invention, and from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Drawings

The detailed description will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, where like designations denote like elements, and:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a secondary package formed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a secondary package formed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a partially exploded front view of an exemplary embodiment of a secondary package formed in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and is

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a secondary package formed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Detailed Description

An exemplary secondary package 100 formed in accordance with the principles of the present invention is shown in fig. 1-4. The secondary package 100 is configured to contain, and preferably also display, items for sale to consumers. Since certain items are preferably displayed on a support element (e.g., on a shelf or in a display tray) rather than hanging (e.g., from a pegboard or clip strip), the secondary package 100 may be configured to be "shellable" (as opposed to hanging, configured to be supported by a support element), preferably having a bottom side configured to stably support the secondary package 100 when placed on a support surface, and without the need for a back card or other extension or protrusion (e.g., for a hang hole). While the various features described below are particularly suited for the instant architecture type, it should be understood that other configurations are within the scope of the present invention.

The article 110 to be contained within the secondary package 100, and preferably also displayed by the secondary package, may be a primary package of another article (e.g., a package containing a consumer product such as a lotion, cream, gel, etc., such as a bottle, jar, tube, etc.), or a device (e.g., a personal care device or a mechanical or electromechanical device performing a particular function, such as a microdermabrasion device, an electric toothbrush, an MP3 player, a hair styling device, etc.), or another type of consumer product (e.g., an article in the secondary package to be promoted to a consumer, such as a toothbrush, a hair brush, scissors, a razor, a molded article such as a piece of soap, a toy, etc.), or any other type of article that may be packaged within the secondary package. For the sake of simplicity, and without intending to be limiting, the term "article" is used herein with reference to a primary element for which the secondary package 100 is designed to contain, and preferably also display, for retail sale to consumers.

Articles to be sold to consumers typically have a certain face or side or surface, preferably to be displayed to the consumer when the article is displayed for sale (for simplicity and without intending to be limiting, hereinafter "side"). Such sides (referred to herein as "display sides" or "consumer-facing sides," and typically, but not necessarily, front sides) are thus typically positioned closest to the front edge of the support structure displaying the consumer product. According to a first aspect of the present invention, as can be appreciated in particular in connection with fig. 1, the secondary packaging 100 is preferably formed to maximize visibility of the items 110 contained therein, such as when displayed for purchase at a retail location. Preferably, the secondary package 100 displays the article 110 such that at least the display side of the article 110 is unobstructed and visible. Most preferably, the article 110 is unobstructed within the secondary package 100 such that the article 100 can be viewed from at least two different angles. As used herein, "unobstructed" and variations thereof are understood to mean unobstructed from the perspective of another item (e.g., an opaque packaging element) and, therefore, capable of being readily viewed without obstruction. As used herein, "view" and variations thereof are understood to be views along/facing one or more of the front 101, back 102, left 103, right 104, top 105, or bottom 106 sides of the secondary package 100 and/or the front 111, back 112, left 113, right 114, top 115, or bottom 116 sides of the article 110. It should be understood that even if the article 110 is spherical, when positioned in a secondary package 100 formed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, a three-dimensional coordinate system, typically used in geometry, may be defined with respect to the secondary package 100 and/or the article 110, the system being defined by a vertical Y-axis (extending in a top-to-bottom direction), a horizontal X-axis (and extending in a left-to-right direction) perpendicular to the Y-axis, and a Z-axis perpendicular to both the Y-axis and the X-axis (and extending in a front-to-back direction). The views listed above may thus be defined along the X, Y and Z-axes, with the left and right views defined along the X-axis, the top and bottom views defined along the Y-axis, and the front and back views defined along the Z-axis.

As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, an article contained in a substantially transparent packaging element (such as made of a substantially transparent plastic material) may be considered unobstructed by the transparent packaging element as compared to an article contained in a non-transparent packaging element (such as formed of a paperboard material). Thus, in accordance with the above-described aspect of the present invention, at least one component of secondary package 100 is preferably formed of a material that is at least partially transparent at least in the vicinity of article 110, and most preferably, in the area of secondary package 100 located closest to article 110, to display article 110 in a manner such that a consumer can easily visually inspect article 110 without obstruction by the non-transparent package components. More specifically, portions of secondary package 100 that are immediately adjacent (closest to) article 110 along at least one of front side 111, back side 112, left side 113, right side 114, top side 115, and bottom side 116, and preferably at least two, of article 110 are transparent, or at least translucent, or at least mostly transparent (e.g., transparent over a majority of the area that covers or is immediately adjacent to article 110, wherein only a small portion of such area is opaque, such as due to printing), such that a consumer can inspect at least two views of article 110. Preferably, at least one view of the article 110 is completely unobstructed, most preferably along the side facing the consumer. It should be understood that even if there is a blockage along the viewing direction of a view of the article, such view may be considered unobstructed. Even if there is a blockage along a certain viewing direction, the corresponding view of the article can be seen along a different viewing direction. For example, if the front view of the article 110 is partially obstructed along a front side viewing direction, if the barrier is spaced from the article 110 along the front side viewing direction, the front view of the article 110 may still be inspected from an angle relative to the front side viewing direction, such as along a side or top viewing direction, or an intermediate direction therebetween. For example, even if a barrier obstructs view along one viewing direction, the barrier may be spaced from article 110 along that viewing direction such that article 110 can be viewed along another viewing direction.

In the exemplary embodiment of fig. 1-3, secondary package 100 includes article retention/display features for retaining article 110 in place within secondary package 100 without preventing a consumer from inspecting article 110. The article holding/display member of the exemplary embodiment of fig. 1-3 is in the form of an article tray 120 configured to display the articles 110 within the secondary packaging 100 in a manner that maximizes the visibility of the articles 110. According to the exemplary embodiment of fig. 1 and 2, the item tray 120 is formed of an at least partially transparent material (either completely transparent in at least some areas or at least translucent in at least some areas) such that the material of the item tray 120 does not obstruct the items 110 along at least one of the front side 121, the back side 122, the left side 123, the right side 124, the top side 125, and the bottom side 126 of the item tray 120, and preferably at least both. The material used to form the item tray 120 is preferably not only at least partially transparent but also thermoformable to allow the material to be molded into a desired form, such as by injection molding or blow molding, or by vacuum forming, or by another thermoforming or cold forming method. Exemplary suitable materials for forming the article tray 120 include RPET (recyclable polyethylene terephthalate), APET (amorphous polyethylene terephthalate), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), HIPS (high impact polystyrene), PP (polypropylene), and PLA (polylactic acid). The preferred thickness of the material used to form the article pallet 120 is in the range of 0.010-0.040 wire gauge, with the particular wire gauge being preferably selected to support the articles 110 in a stable manner according to techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

Preferably, the item tray 120 is formed with item retention compartments, such as item recesses 130 for retaining items 110 therein. The item tray 120 may be specifically configured to display the items 110 on a shelf and thus may include a base (e.g., along the bottom side 126) configured to stably support the secondary package 100 when the secondary package 100 is placed on the base. In one embodiment, the sides of the article tray 120 are slightly tapered (i.e., at an obtuse angle with respect to the front side 121 of the article tray 120) to facilitate removal of the article tray 110 from the tool/mold (as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art). To stabilize the item tray 120 when it is placed on the bottom side 126, feet (e.g., protrusions of the bottom surface at substantially right angles to the front side 121 of the item tray 120) may be formed along the bottom side 126 to impart shelf stability to the item tray 120. It should be understood that the item tray 120 is formed of a transparent or at least substantially or partially transparent material in a free-standing configuration and the item recesses 130 are positioned spaced above the bottom side 126 of the item tray 120 such that the items 110 may be retained in the item recesses 130 to make the items 110 appear to float.

The item tray 120 is preferably formed to hold the item 110 in place within the secondary package 100 in a stable manner such that the item 110 is minimally moved, and most preferably not moved at all, such that the item 110 is held in a selected position. When the secondary package 100 is displayed for purchase by a consumer, the consumer is able to best view the item at the selected location. Preferably, depending on the nature of article 110, a juncture is formed at article groove 130 and/or along leading edge 131 of article groove 130 (such as by forming an undercut, flange, notch, etc. along the peripheral edge of the groove). For example, material may be left to extend inwardly from the article groove edge 131 at a minimum of two points along the article groove edge 131, at least about 0.25 inch (0.635cm) circumferentially along the article groove edge 131, and at a width or height (perpendicular to the perimeter of the article groove edge 131 in a direction toward the article 110) of no less than about 0.015 inch (0.0381cm) to retain the article 110 within the article groove 130 during handling and dispensing. Additionally or alternatively, the groove wall 132 may be shaped and configured to conform to the size and shape of the article 110 such that the article 110 is preferably held in a particular orientation within the article groove 130, and thus also in place within the article tray 120. If article recess 130 conforms to the shape of article 110, article 110 is less likely to fall out of or move within article recess 130. Additionally, an article recess 130 that matches the shape of article 110 may be considered more aesthetically pleasing than an article recess that does not match the shape of article 110 for various reasons. For example, if article recess 130 matches the shape of article 110, it is less conspicuous, and thus may also make article tray 120 less conspicuous. In addition, article recesses 130 that substantially match the shape of article 110 will exhibit substantially the same surface curvature, and thus have substantially the same or at least substantially complementary light reflectivity (rather than possibly conflicting reflectivities that may be caused by article recesses 130 having flat surfaces and articles having curved surfaces). It should be understood, however, that article recess 130 does not have to match the shape of article 110, as the point of engagement or other structure may be sufficient to retain article 110 within article recess 130. It should also be understood that item tray 120 may be formed in other ways if it is not important whether items 110 are moved.

Article recess 130 has an open end along front edge 131 from which article 110 is inserted, and a base 133 (the bottom surface of article recess 130, furthest from open end 131). The item 110 need not reach and engage the base 133. The open end of the article recess 130 is preferably oriented along the display face of the secondary package 100 to face the consumer-facing side (front side 101 in the exemplary embodiment of fig. 1-3) of the secondary package 100 (i.e., the side of the secondary package 100 that is positioned to be inspected by a consumer when the secondary package 100 is displayed for inspection and purchase by the consumer). Such orientation is preferred particularly for high-end (generally more expensive) articles that are intended to be easily viewed with minimal interference from the material that encloses the article (the material provided to retain the article within the package and prevent accidental or intentional removal of the article), which may detract from the appearance of the article 110. Preferably, the articles 110 protrude beyond the front edge 131 of the article recesses 130, thereby further enhancing the viewing of the portion of the articles 110 that is not obstructed by the article tray 120. It will be appreciated that such a configuration results in an article tray that is front-weighted (distributed closer to the front side 121 than the rear side 122), thereby benefiting from the provision of the aforementioned feet on the bottom side 126 to prevent the article tray 120 from tipping forward.

It should be understood that secondary package 100 may also contain additional elements or items, such as components (e.g., replacement components), or accessories (e.g., accessories to be used with or in conjunction with item 110, replaceable or consumable components, decorative components, etc.), or electrical components (e.g., power cords, charger units, batteries, etc.), or written material (e.g., product information, documents such as manuals, instructions for use, warranty information, or promotional material). Thus, in addition to the item recesses 130, the item tray 120 may have one or more additional recesses 140 formed to hold additional elements or items in place within the secondary package 100. One or more of the additional recesses 140 may be formed to hold articles in place so that such articles do not move around when the secondary package 100 is moved, such as during shipping or when gripped by a consumer. For example, items such as electrical components (e.g., batteries, power cords, chargers) can generate abnormal noise and can be heavy enough to cause damage to the secondary packaging 100 and even damage to the item 110 if not restrained, such as by placement within the additional recess 140. Additional grooves 140 may be formed in the same or similar manner as the formation of article grooves 120 to retain articles therein. Additionally or alternatively, the item tray 120 can be formed with a holding space 142 along the rear side 122 that has sufficient volume for holding additional elements to be sold with the item 110 (preferably, such additional elements are lighter or softer and need not be held within the secondary package 100). For example, if the article 110 is a battery-powered device, such as a skin cleaner or microdermabrasion device, the battery 141 can be stored in the additional recess 140 and a set of replacement cleaning pads 143 can be stored in the holding space 142.

As mentioned above, the open end of the article recess 130 preferably faces the consumer such that the article tray 120 does not cover the article 110. However, in order for the item 110 not to be touched by the consumer, or even opened or even stolen, the item 110 must still be enclosed and secured within the item tray 120. To enhance visibility of the articles 110 within the secondary package 100 without detracting from the appearance of the articles 110, it is preferred, according to one aspect of the present invention, to enclose the articles 110 within the article recesses 130 in the article tray 120 using a sleeve 150 formed from an at least partially transparent sheet of material rather than an additional molded packaging element that covers the articles 110, as in typical secondary packages having article trays. As used herein, a "sheet" of material is understood to be a blank or original form of a given material prior to further processing the given material into another shape or form, such as by molding. A sheet of substantially transparent material is understood to be a substantially flat, unformed web of substantially transparent material, such as plastic, formed by extrusion (e.g., plastic in liquid or granular form) or by other methods well known to those of ordinary skill in the art, and therefore not described in detail herein. Flakes are generally considered to be the basic form or starting point of other plastic packaging components (rather than starting from granules or liquid plastic materials, such as injection molded parts), and are therefore the least processed form. Such a sheet of material may typically be further processed, formed or shaped into something other than a sleeve. By way of example, a molded element or vacuum form such as the article tray 120 is typically formed by molding a sheet of material, while a tube may be formed by rolling the sheet to form the tube without otherwise further processing the material, such as by heating or pressing.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the sleeve 150 is preferably formed by only the following process: the desired shape is die cut from a sheet or web of material and the die cut material is manipulated around the article tray 110 without further processing of the sheet of material, such as heating or welding. Thus, the present invention essentially allows the use of such primary elements for forming secondary package components without further processing of the primary elements, such as to actually form molded elements to provide a secondary package that requires less expensive and/or fewer manufacturing steps and/or fewer tools (e.g., molds) than the manufacture of previous secondary packages such as flip-caps or blisters. It should be noted that the use of a sheet of material that has not been further processed (such as by molding) typically requires less material than a packaging component formed by the further processing. For example, the formed packaging component (e.g., in vacuum form) is typically formed from a sheet of material, as described above. Once the sheet is formed into the desired shape, the material is typically trimmed — as opposed to the sleeve 130, which is cut to the desired final configuration, and thus no additional excess material needs to be trimmed or discarded. Most preferably, the sleeve 150 is formed from a single piece (only a substantially thin sheet of material) and is not coupled to additional elements as is the case with a transparent sheet forming a window in a paperboard packaging component (where the resulting packaging component is formed from a plastic component and a paperboard component, each separately formed and subsequently coupled together in separate manufacturing steps). Additionally, it should be appreciated that if it is desired to provide printed material on the elements that enclose the articles 110 within the article tray 120, printing on the sheet of material is generally simpler and less expensive than printing on molded elements. For example, as explained in more detail below, while the sleeve 150 may present a curved surface along the front 101 and top 105 of the secondary package 100, the printed information 152 may be readily provided on such curved surface due to the initially flat configuration of the material forming the sleeve 150. Additional printed information 154 may also be provided in other areas. It should be understood that the content of the printed information 152 and 154 may be of any desired nature and is not limited to the type of information shown in the figures. Further, it should be understood that printed information 152 and 154 is not shown in all of the figures for simplicity.

As can be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, the sheet of material forming the sleeve 150 is preferably sufficiently flexible to allow the material to bend or flex to flexibly wrap around and enclose the item tray 120 without causing cracking or breaking of the sleeve 150. The sleeve 150 may be formed of the same materials (described above) that may be used to form the article tray 120, preferably excluding HIPS. Pulp may also be used, although this would not meet the aspects of the present invention that enhance visibility of article 110. The thickness of the material forming sleeve 150 is preferably selected so that sleeve 150 can conform to the desired shape of enclosing article 110 within article tray 120. Suitable manufacturable thicknesses for the sleeve 130 material range from 0.008 to 0.030 gauge. It should be appreciated that a much thinner material may be used while still achieving the desired enhanced visibility of article 110, a reduction in material usage and processing, and additional benefits that may result from the use of sleeve 150 (described below). For example, shrink films that are thick enough to retain their shape (e.g., not retract or collapse or wrinkle) may be used, with the thickness depending on the material selected.

Since the at least partially transparent sheet of material is generally not as highly curved as article 110 or article tray 120, the light reflectance of sleeve 150 is generally significantly lower than that of an at least partially transparent cover or closure element molded to more conform to the shape of article 110, such as a second molded plastic element typically used to enclose articles in clamshell-type secondary packaging. Thus, the enclosure or covering by the sleeve 150 may less obstruct the visibility of the article 110 than the enclosure or covering by the molded element. Preferably, sleeve 150 is spaced from article 110 to reduce any effect that sleeve 150 may have on the appearance of article 110. Further, the sleeve 150 is preferably formed from a sheet of material that is formed into the final sleeve configuration by simply folding or bending without further processing, such as molding, and is therefore more cost and energy efficient than other packaging components, such as molded elements.

If desired, the sleeve 150 may be wrapped around the item tray 120 about only a single axis (the X-axis in the exemplary embodiment of fig. 1-4), with the open opposite ends of the secondary package 100 (the left and right sides 103, 104 in the case of the exemplary embodiment of fig. 1-4) being along the axis about which the sleeve 150 is wrapped, and thus using less material than covering all sides of the item tray 120. Sleeve 150 preferably encloses at least item 110 within item tray 120 to prevent accidental or unauthorized access to item 110 or exposure of item 110 to undesirable elements (such as moisture, dirt, or dust). If sleeve 150 is wrapped around only a single axis (rather than completely enclosing article tray 120 on all sides), and no additional packaging elements are provided to enclose article 110, and particularly if article 110 protrudes beyond leading edge 131 of recess 130 in article tray 120 (as described above, and as shown in the exemplary embodiment of fig. 2), article tray 120 may be configured to enclose article 110 in conjunction with sleeve 150. In the exemplary embodiment of fig. 1-3, article tray 120 may be formed with sidewalls 160,162 projecting beyond front edge 131 of article recess 130 and also projecting beyond the forward-most surface of article 110 to enclose article 110 along the uncovered sides of sleeve 150. It should be appreciated that, because the article tray 120 (and particularly the article recesses 130) are typically formed in consideration of a particular article 110 of a predetermined size and shape, the height of the sidewalls 160,162 necessary to extend beyond the articles to be held within the article recesses 130 of the article tray 120 is readily determined. Sleeve 150 may be placed over forward facing surfaces 161,163 of sidewalls 160,162, respectively (effectively part of front side 121 of item tray 120), and over top side 125, back side 122, and bottom side 126 of item tray 120 to enclose item 110 within item recess 130. Although article 110 protrudes beyond front edge 131 of article recess 130, article 110 is thereby enclosed within secondary package 100 by sleeve 150 and sidewalls 160, 162. It will be appreciated that the forward projection of sidewalls 160,162 beyond article 110 spaces sleeve 150 from article 110, thereby reducing any effect that may be imparted to the visual impression of article 110 by the presence of sleeve 150. It should also be understood that it may be sufficient that only the side walls 160,162 protrude beyond the open front edge 131 of the article recess 130 (without otherwise requiring the side walls of the top side 125 and/or bottom side 126 of the article tray to extend beyond the front edge 131).

Side walls 160,162 are provided on the article tray 120 to act in conjunction with the sleeve 150 to enclose the articles 110 within the article tray 120 so that a secondary package is formed having a unique form or shape in accordance with the second aspect of the present invention. Specifically, according to a second aspect of the present invention, which is separate and independent from the other aspects of the present invention, but optionally combinable with the other aspects, the side walls 160,162 may be formed in any desired shape, defining a unique cross-sectional shape (in the Y-Z plane, or as cut in a front-to-back direction and viewed from the side) of the secondary package 100, and thus defining a secondary package having a unique shape. For example, typical secondary packages are substantially rectilinear solid shapes (having a quadrilateral, rectilinear or angular shape, such as a cube or prism, where all side walls are square or rectangular) or curvilinear shapes resulting from a substantially curvilinear shape (such as a tube with rounded end walls), and/or have side walls that meet at about right angles. According to this second aspect of the invention, the side walls 160,162 may have curved, non-rectangular or other forms of non-standard (for secondary packaging) or irregular shapes, such as a combination of curved and straight segments. For example, the shape of sidewalls 160,162 may be based on the shape of article 110 or the shape of a logo associated with article 110. The perimeter of the side walls 160,162 on which the sleeve 150 is placed at least partially determines the resulting shape (or at least cross-sectional shape) of the secondary package 100 when the product tray 120 is enclosed within the sleeve 150. More specifically, when the sleeve 150 is placed over the peripheral surfaces of the sidewalls 160,162, the generally planar surface of the sleeve 150 conforms to the shape of the periphery of the sidewalls 160,162, resulting in a contoured surface that corresponds to the contour of the periphery of the sidewalls 160, 162. Thus, the article tray 120, and more particularly the side walls 160,162, not only help to enclose the articles 110 within the secondary package 100, but also affect the overall size and configuration and shape of the secondary package 100. Referring to the exemplary embodiment of fig. 1 and 2, it can be seen that the exemplary secondary package 100 has a curvilinear cross-sectional shape with a curved top front surface and substantially flat left, right, back and bottom side surfaces, such shape being driven by the shape of the side walls 160,162 having front and top edges formed as a substantially continuous curve. Such shapes may be said to be based on a rectangular logo shape (specifically a quarter of the shape) with rounded corners, such as shown in exemplary printed information 152. If desired, as described above, printed information 152 (e.g., graphics, branding, product information, or other indicia or markings) may be provided along the curved front top wall of the secondary package 100 (preferably on the front and upward facing surfaces of the sleeve 150), such positioning generally providing greater visibility to the consumer than on the vertical, front-facing wall or horizontal, upward-facing top wall of a typical box-type secondary package. It should be understood that the side walls 160,162 may be formed in other shapes within the scope of the present invention to create a secondary package that preferably does not take on a standard form.

To achieve a clean, tidy appearance, if the faces of the secondary package 100 formed in accordance with the principles of the present invention are angled to meet, it is preferable to facilitate bending of the sleeve 150 at such corners to achieve a tidier appearance. For example, the sleeve 150 may be provided in a suitable location with a crease line. As used herein, the term "crease line" and variants thereof refer to a region of a structure that promotes or enhances bending, folding, or creasing of the relevant region without necessarily promoting separation, such as is achieved by weakening such region of the structure (e.g., by a line of weakness including, but not limited to, a score line weakening the material to allow creasing, a half-cut line partially cut through the thickness of the material, or a perforation line formed by alternating full cuts and cutting edges to facilitate bending or creasing). The crease line may be formed in any manner known to those of ordinary skill in the art, including but not limited to mechanical means, such as cutting or die cutting, which may form a strip score, or microperforations (preferably 80-200 teeth/inch); or non-mechanical means including, but not limited to, radio frequency, chemical etching, laser, heat, etc.; or by a combination of mechanical and non-mechanical means. Preferably, to reduce manufacturing steps and to simplify the manufacturing process, the crease lines are formed using the same die used to die cut the sleeve 150 from the bulk material (sheet or web) from which the sleeve 150 is formed. The sleeve 150 may then be positioned around the article tray 120 and, where appropriate, crimped along its crease line to substantially conform to the external form of the article tray 120 and secured in place, such as by gluing or welding. It should be understood that the crease lines may also be used to flatten sleeve 150 (as opposed to creating a vacuum-like form of three-dimensional packaging component) to take up less space in storage and shipping and to facilitate transporting it to an assembly location where sleeve 150 is assembled with other components of secondary package 100.

When the sleeve 150 is manipulated about the item tray 120 to enclose and preferably also secure the items 110 therein, the free end of the sleeve 150 is preferably secured in a closed configuration. For example, the free ends of the sleeve 150 may be secured (such as by sealing or by a separate additional element, such as a strap or snap) to each other or to the item tray 120 or to another packaging element of the secondary packaging 100 to maintain the sleeve 150 in its wrapped configuration. Sleeve 150 may be secured in the closed configuration using one of at least three adhesives: hot melts, such as HMA (hot melt adhesive), paraffin wax, hydrocarbon wax (generally preheated to a liquid state and then applied and cooled), which can be used on plastic as well as paperboard materials; PUR (polyurethane reactive material), such as hot melt adhesive that is fully cross-linked to a variety of substrates after a 24 to 48 hour curing process, which can be used as a liquid on plastic alone; or a cold or white adhesive, such as polyvinyl acetate, which binds the cardboard fibers and is commonly used to join cracks in cardboard conversion. If desired, a tear structure may be formed in the sleeve 150 to facilitate removal of the sleeve 150. In the exemplary embodiment shown in fig. 4, the tear structure is provided at bottom side 156 of sleeve 150 by providing a line of weakness, preferably in the form of a pair of lines of weakness 157a,157b forming at least one tear strip 158 therebetween. Preferably, lines of weakness 157a,157b are microperforated lines (such as formed by a cutting instrument having 80 to 200 teeth/inch), or standard perforations (such as 1/16 inch slits and 1/16 inch edges, or 1/8 inch slits and 1/8 inch edges), depending on factors known to those of ordinary skill in the art, such as the material of sleeve 150 and the desired opening force required to tear the tear structure. If desired, a slit 159 may be formed to separate the tear strip 158 into two tear strips and to facilitate lifting one end of one of the tear strips 158 to tear the sleeve 150. The cut 159 may be shaped to facilitate lifting one end of the tear strip 158 and is preferably shaped to result in a sharp corner or corner along the end of the tear strip 158 to eliminate sharp edges.

As described above, and as may be appreciated in connection with the exemplary embodiments shown in fig. 1-3, according to one or more aspects of the present invention, the secondary package 100 may be formed from more than one at least partially transparent member. In addition to the above-described structure of the secondary package 100, such as protecting, displaying and/or supporting the item 110, the secondary package 100 is generally designed to provide information about the product (e.g., branding, indicia, UPC or bar code, product use and/or efficacy specifications, ingredient or component lists, specifications, product information, information required by various governmental agencies, etc.) or at least to enhance the appearance of the secondary package 100 with graphical elements. Accordingly, the secondary package 100 preferably includes a surface having indicia thereon, upon which written material, graphics, etc. may be provided, such as by printing. However, providing printed material on an at least partially transparent secondary package may not be consistent with the various aforementioned benefits of the present invention, such as reducing the materials used, simplifying the manufacturing process, and facilitating viewing of the items within the secondary package. Printing on transparent materials often requires more expensive inks and/or more expensive printing processes and/or more printing steps (e.g., multiple printing steps to apply several layers of ink to make the ink easily legible) for various reasons, such as the inks often do not adhere well to typical transparent materials. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a non-transparent (e.g., opaque or translucent) material upon which the material is to be printed.

According to a third aspect of the invention, which may (but need not) be separate and independent of the above-described separate and independent aspects of the invention, non-transparent packaging elements are provided in addition to the article tray 120 and sleeve 150 to form the secondary package 100. Suitable materials for the non-transparent packaging element include paper-based materials, such as cardboard, or other materials that readily accept and display printed materials. The material may or may not be coated or otherwise treated for printing purposes, depending on the desired printing effect. It should be appreciated that while a substantially opaque label attached to one or both of the article tray 120 and sleeve 150 may suffice for this third aspect of the invention, the non-transparent packaging element is preferably a structural element that not only provides billboard space for printed material, but may also provide additional packaging purposes or functions.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in fig. 1-3, a secondary package 100 is provided in accordance with at least a third aspect of the present invention having a structural non-transparent packaging element in the form of a partial carton 170. Partial carton 170 preferably has fewer and/or shorter walls than typical carton elements of a secondary package so that at least one side of article tray 120 is unobstructed for viewing of articles 110 therein. In the exemplary embodiment of fig. 1-3, front wall 171, rear wall 172, left wall 173, and right wall 174 of partial carton 170 do not even extend the full height of article tray 120, thereby leaving more than one side of article tray 120 unobstructed for viewing of articles 110 therein. It should be understood that the provision of the bottom wall 176 is optional. Although left wall 173 and right wall 174 are shown as having a sloped top edge, other configurations are within the scope of the present invention. If a partial carton 170 is formed by folding a blank of material (e.g., paperboard) into a desired configuration, the free edges of the blank are typically exposed, at least in certain areas. If desired, additional blank material 172 ', 173', 174 '(the last one hidden from view in fig. 2) may be provided to allow the additional blank material 172', 173 ', 174' to be folded along the wall from which the blank material extends so that the cut or "flash" or exposed edge of the carton blank is not exposed, but instead a clean, clean edge can be seen. Such techniques are known in the art and thus further detailed information need not be provided. Such a configuration of the side walls of partial carton 170 also allows printed articles to be provided inside partial carton 170 in a cost-effective manner. Specifically, only one side of the material needs to be printed, and if the material is primed, only one side is primed, thereby reducing material and process steps. By folding over portions of the side walls of partial carton 170, the printed outer surface of partial carton 170 is positioned for viewing inside partial carton 170 such that printing need only be performed on the outer surface of partial carton 170. Various printed materials, such as information, logos, graphic images, etc., may thereby be conveniently and economically provided along at least a portion of the interior of partial carton 170.

As can be appreciated, the partial carton 170 requires less material than is required to form a typical secondary package that utilizes either a full (six-wall) or half (five-wall) carton as a translucent packaging element. The size of partial carton 170 is preferably limited to provide the desired billboard space for printed material to be provided on the exterior of secondary package 100 without providing excess unnecessary space, thereby further reducing the amount of material used. The size of partial carton 170 may also depend on various functions other than providing billboard space for printed material. For example, it should be appreciated that, at least in the exemplary embodiment of fig. 1-3, rear wall 172 of partial carton 170 provides most of the space for printed material (even though rear wall 172 does not extend the full height of secondary package 100), and possibly all of the space required for carrying printed material. Left wall 173 and right wall 174 may be provided for decorative purposes only (e.g., to provide a logo or to merely design a work or color to enhance the appearance of secondary package 100). Partial carton 170 is preferably configured such that it is flat-foldable for shipping purposes (similar to sleeve 150), and is preferably further configured to be pop-open from a folded configuration (referred to in the art as a "pop-up" configuration or a Hymes auto-lock bottom configuration) into a final configuration for assembly with other components of secondary package 100.

It should be understood that partial carton 170 satisfies a number of the desired characteristics of the present invention. For example, partial carton 170 preferably covers one or more, and preferably less than all, sides of article tray 120, leaving at least one side of article tray 120 unobstructed by non-transparent material, thereby also satisfying the above-described first aspect of the present invention, leaving articles 110 within article tray 120 and secondary package 100 sufficiently exposed for inspection by a consumer. As can be appreciated in connection with the embodiment shown in fig. 1-3, exemplary partial carton 170 allows article 110 to be viewed along at least front side 111, left side 113, right side 114, and top side 115 of article 110. Further, if the article tray 120 has more than one wall for containing elements (other than the articles 110) that are preferably not visible when the secondary package 100 is displayed for sale to a consumer, the partial carton 170 preferably has more than one side wall that blocks the view of any additional wall 140 and elements therein. In the exemplary embodiment of fig. 1-3, one or more of the sidewalls 171,172,173,174 may cover elements within the secondary package 100 that preferably should be hidden from view by the consumer when the secondary package 100 is displayed for sale. Further, the bottom wall 176 of the partial carton 170 is preferably shaped (such as in a substantially rectilinear, flat shape) and is configured to support the secondary package 100 when placed on the bottom side 106 of the secondary package 100 and the bottom side 176 of the partial carton 170. If partial carton 170 is formed by folding a paperboard blank, partial carton 170 will generally provide a stiffer bottom side 176, such as bottom side 126 of article tray 120 (i.e., a side wall extending from the wall in which the article retention wall is formed, opposite the wall in which the article retention wall is formed, or opposite the side of the tray opposite the wall in which the article retention wall is formed), than would normally be provided by a side wall of article tray 120.

It should also be appreciated that the partial carton provides an environmentally sustainable solution to the problem of providing printed materials in accordance with the principles of the invention as described hereinbefore. In addition to the obvious advantages of saving material costs (typical non-transparent materials such as paper based materials are less costly than typical transparent materials such as plastics, and less material is used to form partial cartons than complete cartons), printing on non-transparent materials is generally easier (e.g., fewer steps and less complex processing) and less costly (both processing and ink materials) than printing on transparent materials. Further, the transparent tray element with the consumer goods contained therein can be inserted into a portion of the carton rather than being sized to enclose the non-transparent element. The size of the generally more costly transparent element is therefore not increased to accommodate the lower cost non-transparent element as in prior art clamshell-type secondary packages that are sized to enclose not only the consumer product but also the non-transparent element. Although sleeve 150 is wrapped around the exterior of article tray 120, very little additional material is required to enclose partial carton 170 in addition to individual article trays 120. It should also be appreciated that because partial carton 170 is formed separately from the preferred plastic article tray 120 and sleeve 150, partial carton 170 is readily recyclable without having to remove non-recyclable plastic material.

It should be understood that in addition to covering only a portion or contents of secondary package 100 (other than article 110) such that it does not detract from the display of article 110, forming a partial carton 170 may also serve to supplement, reinforce or highlight article 110. For example, at least a portion of partial carton 170 may be formed to supplement or enhance or highlight the display of articles 110 within secondary package 100. In the exemplary embodiment of fig. 1-3, front wall 171 of partial carton 170 is configured (such as by die cutting) to bend and roll under article 110 to complement the curved shape of article 110. Thus, front wall 171 not only covers additional wall 140 formed at the front of article tray 120, but also enhances or supplements or accentuates the curvature of curved articles 110. Further, by rolling under the item 110, the front wall 171 appears to minimally support the item 110 such that the item 110 still appears to float within the secondary package 100 (preferably by the visual impression obtained by the substantially transparent item tray 120 holding the item 110 in an elevated position above the support surface). If desired, the stiffness of the material of partial carton 170 and the configuration of front wall 171 and the relative position of the curved portion of front wall 171 with respect to article 110 may be selected such that front wall 171 helps to hold article 110 in place within article recess 130. For example, one or more of such factors may be adjusted such that front wall 171 provides sufficient pressure to bottom side 116 of article 110 to secure article 110 within article recess 130.

While partial carton 170 adds another feature to secondary package 100, partial carton 170 may facilitate closing secondary package 100 by interlocking with sleeve 150. In the exemplary embodiment of fig. 1-4, tabs 172a,172b are formed on partial carton 170 for interlocking with slots 174a,174b in sleeve 150 to form an anti-opening closure. Tabs 172a,172b may be formed in any convenient manner, such as by die cutting a blank from which partial carton 170 is formed, such that when folded into partial carton 170, a portion of one of front wall 171 and bottom wall 176 and/or a portion of one of rear wall 172 and bottom wall 176 extends beyond the remaining edges of such walls to form protruding tabs that are insertable into slots 174a,174 b. The slots 174a,174b may similarly be formed in any convenient manner, such as by die cutting when the sleeve is die cut from a sheet of material from which the sleeve 150 is formed. It should be understood that such interlocking of the packaging components may alternatively be achieved between the sleeve 150 and the article tray 120. Further, tabs may be formed along different side walls of partial carton 170 depending on the relative position of sleeve 150 with respect to partial carton 170.

It should be understood that the exemplary embodiments shown in the figures have a number of separate and independent inventive structures, each of which has at least individually distinct advantages that are desirable for, but not critical to, the present invention. Thus, the various individual features of the invention need not all be present in order to achieve at least some of the desired features and/or advantages of the invention. One or more of the individual structures may be combined or only one of the structures need be present. In light of the above, it should be understood that the present invention provides secondary packages having one or more beneficial structures that may exist independently or in combination with each other. Secondary package 100 is preferably formed from a minimum number of packaging components, and most preferably no more than three packaging components: article tray 120, sleeve 150, and partial carton 170. The components of the secondary packaging 100 are preferably formed in a cost effective manner in which material usage is reduced and the manufacturing process is simplified. Additionally or alternatively, the secondary package 100 may be formed to display the items contained therein in a visually attractive manner. For example, the secondary package may be formed to maximize the visibility of the articles and/or may be formed with features that complement, enhance or highlight the articles therein. In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a secondary package can be formed that is both environmentally sustainable and elegant.

While the foregoing detailed description and drawings represent exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that various additions, modifications and substitutions may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In particular, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms, structures, arrangements, proportions, and with other elements, materials, and components, without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may be used with many modifications of structure, arrangement, proportions, materials, and components and otherwise, used in the practice of the invention, which are particularly adapted to specific environments and operative requirements without departing from the principles of the present invention. It should also be understood that directional references to "front," "back," "left," "right," "top," and "bottom" merely serve to distinguish sides from one another and do not limit such sides to a particular orientation. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims, and not limited to the foregoing description.

Claims (27)

1. A secondary package capable of containing and displaying articles of a predetermined size and shape, said secondary package having a front side, a back side opposite said front side, a first side extending between said front and back sides, a second side opposite said first side and extending between said front and back sides, a third side and a fourth side opposite each other and extending between said front, back, first and second sides, said secondary package comprising:

an article holding component having a front side positioned along the secondary package front side, a back side positioned along the secondary package back side, a first side positioned along the secondary package first side, and a second side positioned along the secondary package second side; and

a covering element in the form of a flexible sheet;

wherein:

forming an article recess in the front side of the article holding member;

said article holding component having a first sidewall along said first side thereof and a second sidewall along said second side thereof, said first sidewall and said second sidewall having peripheral edges forming a non-rectangular shape; and

flexibly placing the cover element over the peripheral edges of the first and second sidewalls to cover the article recess and conform to the non-rectangular shape of the peripheral edges of the first and second sidewalls to form a secondary package defined by the cover element having a front side that is non-planar and that is not molded to conform to the shape of the article within the secondary package.

2. The secondary packaging of claim 1, wherein:

the article recess having a front edge and being shaped and configured to retain only a rear portion of the article within the article recess with a front portion of the article protruding beyond the front edge of the article recess; and is

The cover element encloses the article within the article recess without contacting the article.

3. The secondary packaging of claim 2, wherein:

said first side wall having a front surface along said front side of said article retention feature extending forwardly in a direction toward said front side of said secondary package a distance selected to extend beyond said article when said article is positioned within said article recess;

said second side wall having a front surface along said front side of said article retention feature extending forwardly in a direction toward said front side of said secondary package a distance selected to extend beyond said article when said article is positioned within said article recess; and is

Flexibly placing the cover element over the front surfaces of the first and second side walls to conform to the perimeter shape of at least the front surfaces of the first and second side walls to form a secondary package defined by the cover element having a front surface that is non-planar and does not conform to the shape of the articles within the secondary package.

4. The secondary packaging of claim 1 wherein the first and second side walls each have at least one curved side along the perimeter thereof such that the cover element is curved.

5. The secondary packaging of claim 4, wherein:

the first and second sidewalls each having a front side along the front side of the article retention component and a third side along the third side of the article retention component; and is

The front and third sides of the left and right side walls are curved to form a continuous curved side such that the cover element is curved along the front and third sides of the secondary package.

6. The secondary packaging of claim 1 wherein the article holding component is a molded article tray.

7. The secondary packaging of claim 1, wherein the cover element is wrapped around the item-holding element about a single axis such that the first and second sides of the item-holding element are not covered by the cover element.

8. The secondary packaging of claim 7 wherein the first and second sidewalls close the first and second sides of the article retention element not covered by the cover element such that the article recess is individually enclosed entirely by the cover element, the first and second sidewalls.

9. The secondary packaging of claim 1 wherein only the first and second side walls of the article retention component extend sufficiently toward the front side of the article retention component to extend beyond a predetermined article when positioned within the article recess.

10. A secondary package capable of containing and displaying articles of a predetermined size and shape, said secondary package further comprising:

a molded article display member having a front side in which an article recess is formed and a rear side opposite the front side; and

an at least partially transparent sheet wrapped around only a single axis to cover at least the article recess and leave exposed and uncovered sides of the article display member at opposite ends of the single axis and intersecting the single axis, leaving open ends of the secondary package at opposite ends of the single axis;

wherein:

the sides of the article display member at opposite ends of the single axis and intersecting the single axis and being exposed and not covered by the sheet are shaped and configured to close the open end of the secondary package such that the sheet and the article display member sides together enclose a predetermined article with the at least partially transparent sheet spaced from the predetermined article when the article is retained within the article recess; and is

The article display member is at least partially formed of an at least partially transparent material such that an article displayed within the article recess can be viewed from at least two viewing directions without visual obstruction through at least one of the article display member and the at least partially transparent sheet.

11. The secondary packaging of claim 10 wherein:

at least a portion of the secondary package is configured as a bottom side to support the secondary package in a stable manner when the bottom side of the secondary package is placed on a support surface; and is

Said article recess being spaced above and transverse to said bottom side of said secondary package to retain said article above said support surface on which said secondary package is placed;

wherein the secondary packaging displays an item in a manner such that the item appears to float within the secondary packaging.

12. The secondary packaging of claim 10 wherein the article display member is formed by one of vacuum forming, thermoforming, cold forming and molding.

13. The secondary packaging of claim 10 wherein the article recess is formed to retain a predetermined shape prior to insertion of the article into the article recess, the predetermined shape corresponding to an article to be retained in the article recess.

14. The secondary packaging of claim 10 wherein:

the secondary package having at most two walls at right angles to each other to form a corner;

the at least partially transparent sheet covers the at least two walls; and is

The at least partially transparent sheet is creased along the line of weakness to be folded around the corner.

15. The secondary packaging of claim 10 wherein the transparent sheet is a single component element.

16. The secondary package of claim 10 further comprising a partial carton formed of an at least partially opaque material and configured to enclose only a portion of the article display member while leaving at least a portion of the article display member unencapsulated such that the articles remain visible without visual obstruction from the at least two viewing directions;

wherein the transparent sheet is wrapped around both the article display member and the partial carton.

17. The secondary packaging of claim 16 wherein:

the item display component comprises at least one additional compartment configured to store elements other than the item; and is

The at least one additional compartment is covered by the partial carton.

18. The secondary packaging of claim 10 wherein:

the article recess has a front end;

the sides of the article display member at opposite ends of the single axis and the intersecting single axis have forward facing sides that extend in a direction toward the front side of the article display member and extend beyond the front end of the article recess by a distance determined to extend beyond the predetermined article when the predetermined article is retained in the article recess; and is

Placing the at least partially transparent sheet on the forward facing surface of the side of the article display component at the single axis and at opposite ends of the single axis that intersect such that the at least partially transparent sheet is spaced apart from the predetermined article when the predetermined article is retained in the article recess.

19. The secondary packaging of claim 10 wherein:

the at least partially transparent sheet completely surrounds the single axis and closes a space within the secondary package together with the single axis and the sides of the article display component at opposite ends of the single axis that intersect, the space being sized to enclose the predetermined article within the article recess without contacting the at least partially transparent sheet; and is

The at least partially transparent sheet and the article display member are sufficiently transparent to allow unobstructed viewing of the articles within the secondary package from at least two viewing directions.

20. A secondary package having a front side, a back side, a left side, a right side, a top side, and a bottom side, the secondary package comprising:

an at least partially transparent article display component having a front side, a rear side, a left side, a right side, a top side, and a bottom side, and having a compartment configured to hold an article in place therein;

a partial carton formed of an at least partially opaque material and covering only a portion of the at least partially transparent article display means with at least a portion of the compartment uncovered for viewing from at least two different viewing directions; and

a sheet separate and apart from the partial carton covering at least a portion of the partial carton and the portion of the compartment not covered by the partial carton to enclose the compartment having articles therein, the sheet being transparent over at least a portion of the uncovered portion of the compartment to allow viewing of the compartment from at least two different viewing directions outside of the secondary package;

wherein:

at least two sides of the article display member are at least partially unobstructed by the transparency of the partial carton and the article display member; and is

The sheet and the positioning of the sheet over the compartment allow viewing of the items within the compartment from at least two different viewing directions.

21. The secondary packaging of claim 20 wherein the item display member is a transparent molded element having at least one compartment molded to correspond to a predetermined form of an item to be held therein, the at least one compartment holding the predetermined form when the item is not contained therein.

22. The secondary packaging of claim 20, wherein:

the partial carton encloses only a portion of the front side of the article display member and only a portion of at least one of the rear side, the left side, the right side, and the top side such that at least a portion of the front side and at least a portion of one of the rear side, the left side, the right side, and the top side are unobstructed for viewing of articles in the compartment.

23. The secondary packaging of claim 20 wherein the at least partially transparent sheet encloses the article display component and the partial carton such that the left side and the right side are not covered by the at least partially transparent sheet.

24. The secondary package of claim 20 wherein the at least partially transparent sheet interlocks with the partial carton to inhibit relative sliding of the at least partially transparent sheet and the partial carton to inhibit access to the articles in the article display.

25. The secondary packaging of claim 20, wherein:

the article display member is positioned within the partial carton and a portion extends outside of the partial carton; and is

The article display member has a transparent portion at least in an area adjacent the article to be held in a compartment within the article display member.

26. The secondary packaging of claim 20, wherein:

the partial carton has:

a bottom end having a front edge, a rear edge opposite the front edge, a left side edge extending between the front edge and the rear edge, and a right side edge opposite the left side edge and extending between the front edge and the rear edge;

a front wall extending upwardly from the bottom side front edge;

a rear wall extending upwardly from the bottom side rear edge;

a left side wall extending upwardly from the bottom side left side edge;

a right sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom side right side edge; and

an open top end opposite the bottom end;

the article display member is positioned within the partial carton and extends partially through the open top end of the partial carton above the front wall, the rear wall, the left side wall, and the right side wall of the partial carton;

the article recess faces at least the front wall of the partial carton and extends along at least the front wall; and is

The at least partially transparent sheet covers the partial carton and at least the front wall of the article recess.

27. The secondary package of claim 26, wherein the front wall of the partial carton is configured to bend toward the article recess such that the front wall of the partial carton can be rolled up under an article held in the article recess.