초록 ▼

A reusable package and storage album (1) displays and stores a multi-component product, combining the appearance of a blister pak with the security of a vacuformed clamshell package. Two sections (17 & 19) joined by hinges (43 & 45) to a spine (21), formed principally of plastic (11) and pap

A reusable package and storage album (1) displays and stores a multi-component product, combining the appearance of a blister pak with the security of a vacuformed clamshell package. Two sections (17 & 19) joined by hinges (43 & 45) to a spine (21), formed principally of plastic (11) and paperboard (9) materials, fold into a book or album-like structure to house the product components. Ample advertising space (9) is available on the exterior (3, 2, 21) and interior (23) surfaces for a layer of printed matter (13). The album type storage (17, 37, 19, 23) is helpful, discourages disposal of the packaging, which aids the environment, and allows manufacturer advertising and other printed information to persist beyond the sale. Hinges (43, 45) comprise an inverted rectangular U-shape in section in geometry. Windows (5, 7, 12) may be included to allow a view of the components. A window (5) formed in one album section (17) may be recessed to also prevent a component in the other album section (19) from flopping about when handling the package.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A reusable package and storage album for the plurality of components of a multi-component product, comprising:first and second mating housing portions for fully enclosing said plurality of components of multi-component product, each said housing portion being connected to a spine by a hinge where

1. A reusable package and storage album for the plurality of components of a multi-component product, comprising:first and second mating housing portions for fully enclosing said plurality of components of multi-component product, each said housing portion being connected to a spine by a hinge wherein said housing portions may be manually pivoted into and out of mating engagement; said first housing portion including a first light transmissive window; said second housing portion including a receptacle for loosely housing a first one of said plurality of components; wherein said housing portions, spine and hinges comprise an integral structure formed in one piece of plastic material and a layer of treated paper board material bonded to one surface of said integral structure; said first light transmissive window being recessed from the outer surface of said first housing portion and protruding into the interior a sufficient amount to abut said first one of said plurality of components, wherein said first one of said plurality of components is visible through said window and is prevented from rattling in said package and storage album when said package and storage album is lightly shaken; said first and second housing portions and said some containing printers ink on outside and inside surfaces thereof, said printers ink defining text and artwork; and wherein said treated paper board material comprises; a first layer of printer's ink, a layer of paperboard material, a second layer of printer's ink, and a layer of treated paper board material-to-plastic material bonding material. 2. A reusable package and storage album for the plurality of components of a multi-component product as defined in claim 1, wherein each said hinge is an inverted rectangular U-shape structure in cross section; wherein said treated paperboard material extends across the ends of the stems of said U-shape structure, and wherein said treated paperboard material includes two score lines, one associated with each said hinge, and each of said score fines overlying and extending the length of a respective one of said hinges.3. A combined display package and storage container for a muiti-component product that contains at least first and second components that differ in size, comprising:first and second housing sections, said first and second housing sections for mating to one another in frictional engagement to place said package in a closed condition and define an internal region to fully enclose and hold said multi-component product; said first housing section for storing said first component and said second housing section for storing said second component; a spine; and a pair of hinges; said spine being hingedly attached to said two sections by said pair of hinges for permitting said first and second sections to be pivoted into mating frictional engagement to close said package and confine said multi-component product and, alternately, out of said mating frictional engagement to open said package, whereby said components of said multi-component product may be withdrawn from said package; said first and second housing sections, said spine and said pair of hinges being integrally formed in one piece of transparent plastic material; said first housing section including a first and second light transmissive windows, said first window being recessed from the outer side surface of said first section and protruding form the inside surface of said first section; a sheet of treated paperboard material having a front side and a back side and being opaque to light, said backside of said paperboard sheet being attached to an outside surface of said first and second housing sections and said spine to cover the outer surfaces of said package; said sheet of treated paperboard material including a plurality of openings there through, a respective one of said plurality of openings corresponding in size and geometry with a corresponding one of said first and second light transmissive windows of said first housing section and being aligned with and overlying said corresponding one of said light transmissive windows of said first housing section for permitting transmission of light into and out of said internal region of said package when said first and second housing sections are in mating engagement; said sheet of treated paperboard material including a layer of printers ink on each of said front and back side at locations on each said front and back side overlying said first and second housing sections and said spine, said printers ink defining any of text and graphics, and said back side of said sheet of treated paperboard material further including a layer of treated paper board-to-plastic transparent bonding material; said printers ink on said back side of said paperboard being visible through said transparent plastic material. 4. The combined display package and storage container for a multi-component product that contains at least first and second components that differ in size as defined in claim 3, and wherein said second housing section including a light transmissive window; wherein said sheet of treated paperboard material includes at least one opening that corresponds in size and geometry said window of said second housing section, said opening is aligned with and overlies said light transmissive windows of said second housing section to permit transmission of light into and out of said internal region of said package when said first and second housing sections are in mating engagement.5. The combined display package and storage container for a multi-component product that contains at least first and second components that differ in size as defined in claim 3, wherein said treated paper board-to-plastic transparent bonding material comprises a thermal actuated adhesive.6. The combined display package and storage container for a multi-component product that contains at least first and second components that differ in size as defined in claim 3, wherein said transparent sealing material comprises a glue.7. The combined display package and storage container for a multi-component product that contains at least first and second components that differ in size as defined in claim 2, further including temporary attachment means for attaching said first and second housing sections together to prevent said housing sections from being pivoted relative to one another to separate said housing sections.8. The combined display package and storage container for a multi-component product contains at least first and second components that differ in size as defined in claim 7, wherein said temporary attachment means comprises an adhesive tape.9. The combined display package and storage container for a multi-component product that contains at least first and second components that differ in size as defined in claim 7, wherein said temporary attachment means comprises fused plastic tacking.10. The combined display package and storage container for a multi-component product that contains at least first and second components that differ in size as defined in claim 3, wherein first light transmissive window comprises a recessed window that protrudes to a predetermined depth into said first housing section for blocking movement of said second component of said multi-component product toward said first housing section when said second component is installed in said second housing section and said package is closed.11. The combined display package and storage container for a multi-component product that contains at least first and second components that differ in size as defined in claim 10, wherein said predetermined depth is sufficient to position said recessed window at least contiguous with said second component.12. The combined display package and storage container for a multi-component product that contains at least first and second components that differ in size as defined in claim 11, wherein said predetermined depth is sufficient to position said recessed widow to press against said second component.13. The combined display package and storage container for a multi-component product that contains at least first and second components that differ in size as defined in claim 10, wherein first housing portion includes a receptacle of holding said first component of said multi-component product; wherein said second light transmissive window is located beneath said receptacle and defines a bottom wall to said receptacle, whereby said first article is visible through said light transmissive window when said package is closed.14. The combined display package and storage container for a multi-component product that contains at least first and second components that differ in size as defined in claim 10, wherein first housing portion includes a receptacle of holding said first component of said multi-component product; wherein said second light transmissive window is located beneath said receptacle and defines a bottom wall to said receptacle, whereby said first article is visible through said light transmissive window when said package is closed.15. A display and storage package for a product, comprising:first and second housing sections, said first and second housing sections for mating to one another in frictional engagement to place said package in a closed condition and define an internal region to hold said product; a spine; and a pair of hinges; said spine being attached to said two sections by said pair of hinges for permitting said first and second sections to be pivoted into mating frictional engagement to close said package and confine said product and, alternately, out of said mating frictional engagement to open said package, whereby said product may be withdrawn from said package; said first and second housing sections, said spine and said pair of hinges being integrally formed in one piece of transparent plastic material; each said hinges comprising an inverted rectangular U-shape geometry in section; a sheet of treated paperboard material having a front side and a back side and being opaque to light, said backside of said paperboard sheet being attached to an outside surface of said first and second housing sections and said spine to cover the outer surface of said package; said sheet of treated paperboard material including a layer of printers ink on each of said front and back side at locations on each said front and back side overlying said first and second housing sections and said spine, said printers ink defining any of text and graphics, and said back side of said sheet of treated paperboard material further including a layer of treated paper board-to-plastic transparent bonding material; and said printers ink on said back side of said paperboard being visible through said transparent plastic material. 16. A display and storage package for a product, comprising:first and second housing sections, said first and second housing sections for mating to one another in frictional engagement to place said package in a dosed condition and define an internal region to hold said components of said product; a spine; and a pair of hinges; said spine being attached to said two sections by said pair of hinges for permitting said first and second sections to be pivoted into mating frictional engagement to close said package and confine said product and, alternately, out of said mating frictional engagement to open said package, whereby said product may be withdrawn from said package; said first and second housing sections, said spine and said pair of hinges being integrally formed in one piece of transparent plastic material, said transparent plastic material comprising a member selected from the group consisting of: polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polyethylene and polystyrene; and each said hinges comprising an inverted rectangular U-shape geometry in section; a sheet of treated paperboard material having a front side and a back side and being opaque to light, said backside of said paperboard sheet being attached to an outside surface of said first and second housing sections and said spine to cover the outer surfaces of said package; said sheet of treated paperboard material including a layer of printers ink on each of said front and back side at locations on each said front and back side overlying said first and second housing sections and said spine, said printers ink defining any of text and graphics, and said back side of said sheet of treated paperboard material further including a layer of treated paper board-to-plastic transparent bonding material; said printers ink on said back side of said paperboard being visible through said transparent plastic material; and sealing means for sealing said first and second housing sections together when said package is closed, said sealing means comprising any of a tape, a glue, a heat sealable glue, an ultraviolet light sealable glue and an ultrasonic weld. 17. A reusable package for a multi-component product containing a paper book and a plug-in cartridge, said paper book having a rectangular shaped cover and being of a predetermined thickness, comprising:a first quadrilateral housing section; said first housing section including a base, a stepped raised hollow shoulder projecting from said base and defining a rectangular region on said base, said base including an opening underlying said stepped raised hollow shoulder, and an outer flange, said flange extending about the periphery of said first section; a second quadrilateral housing section; said second quadrilateral housing section including a base, a stepped raised hollow shoulder projecting from said base and defining a rectangular region on said base, said base including an opening underlying said stepped raised hollow shoulder, and an outer flange, said flange extending about the periphery of said second housing section; said stepped raised hollow shoulder of said first housing section being sized to matingly frictionally engage said stepped raised hollow shoulder of said second housing section when said package is closed a spine; a first hinge joining a longitudinal edge of said spine to said flange of said first housing section; a second hinge joining another longitudinal edge of said spine to said flange of said second housing section; and each said hinges comprising an inverted rectangular U-shape geometry in section; wherein said first and second housing sections may be pivoted relative to one another and relative to said spine to place said housing sections in face-to-face engagement with said spine positioned alongside said first and second housing sections to close said package; said second housing section including a hollow raised shoulder forming a dosed loop, said hollow raised shoulder being located inside said rectangular region of said second housing section and defining an opening in said base underlying said shoulder and a first receptacle for receiving and frictionally engaging and holding said plug-in cartridge; said rectangular region of said second housing portion defining a tray for loosely receiving said book; said second housing section including a window portion recessed from the said base of said second housing section, said window portion being of a first predetermined area, said recessed surface of said window for providing a compression surface for pressing against said book when said book is received in said tray and said housing sections are in face to face frictional mating engagement; said first and second housing section, said spine and said hinges being a unitary one-piece thermoformed structure formed from a sheet of transparent plastic material, said plastic material comprising a plastic member selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polyethylene and polystyrene; a sheet of treated paperboard material having a front side and a back side and being opaque to light, said backside of said paperboard sheet being bonded to an outside surface of said first and second housing sections and said spine to cover the outer surfaces of said package including said openings in said base underlying said stepped hollow raised shoulders in said first housing section and said opening in said base underlying said hollow shoulder defining said first receptacle; said sheet of treated paperboard material including a plurality of openings there through; said plurality of openings including a first opening corresponding in area, shape, alignment in said base, and overlying said recessed window of said first housing section to provide a light transmissive path through said first housing section; said plurality of openings including a second opening corresponding in area, shape, alignment in said base, and underlying said first receptacle of said first housing section to provide a light transmissive path into said first receptacle; said sheet of treated paperboard material including a layer of printers ink on each of said front and back side at locations on each of said front and back sides overlying said first and second housing sections and said spine, said printers ink defining any of text and graphics, and said back side of said sheet of treated paperboard material further including a layer of treated paper board-to-plastic transparent bonding material, wherein said said printers ink on said back side of said paperboard is visible through said transparent plastic material of said housing sections; and tamper proof sealing means connecting opposite shoulders of said first and second housing section together when said housing sections are in mating engagement to temporarily prevent said housing sections from being withdrawn from mating engagement. 18. A display and storage package for fully enclosing a product, comprising:first and second housing sections; a spine; and a pair of hinges; each hinge in said pair of hinges comprising an inverted rectangular U-shape geometry in section; said spine being attached to said two first and second housing sections by respective hinges of said pair of hinges for permitting said first and second sections to be pivoted into mating frictional engagement to close said package and define an internal region to completely confine said product and, alternately, out of said mating frictional engagement to open said package to expose said product, whereby said product may be withdrawn from said package; said first and second housing sections defining a peripheral extending juncture between said housing sections when said housing sections are in mating frictional engagement; said first and second housing sections, said spine and said pair of hinges being formed of transparent plastic material; a sheet of paper material having a front side and a back side and being opaque to light, said sheet of paper material being positioned flat on a surface of said first and second housing sections and said spine for substantially covering said housing sections and said spine; said sheet of paper material including a layer of printers ink on each of said front and back side thereof at locations overlying said first and second housing sections and said spine, said printers ink defining any of text and graphics; said printers ink on at least one side of said paper material being visible through said transparent plastic material; and a tape for permanently attaching said first and second housing sections together when said first and second housing sections are in mating engagement, said tape extending a predetermined extent about a peripheral edge of said housing sections and overlying said peripherally extending Juncture between said first and second housing sections, said peripherally extending juncture defining a cutting line to guide a cutting instrument to cut through said tape for detaching said first and second housing sections from one another, permit said housing sections to be disengaged and pivoted to an open condition.