Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Labeling is also another means for enhancing the marketing
appeal of packages. Unfortunately, however, marketers
typically focus on package labels individually, and such
labeling has a limited impact on catching consumer
attention.
It is of increasing interest to develop a packaging system
that will be exceptionally attractive to customers,
regardless of the labeling type. This invention, therefore,
is directed to a package that has at least one side that is
complementary to a side of an adjacent package, regardless
if both packages are right side up, upside down, or in any
combination thereof. The package of this invention creates
a puzzle-like appearance when displayed in a group, is very
attractive and catches a consumer's attention when products
are packaged therein.
Additional Information
Efforts have been disclosed for making packages. In U.S.
Patent Nos. DES 416,199, DES 507,748, 3,537,498, 5,156,285
and 5,350,078, bottles suitable for gripping are disclosed.
Other efforts have been disclosed for making packages. In
U.S. Application, Publication Nos. 2003/0031851 Al and
2003/0075521 Al, bottles for consumer products are
described.
Still other efforts have been disclosed for making
packages. In U.S. Application Publication No. 2004/0232023
Al, an asymmetric package that creates an illusion of
animation is described.
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None of the additional information above describes a
package comprising at least one side that is complimentary
to a side on another package sitting adjacent thereto.
Summnary of the Invention
In a first aspect, the present invention is directed to a
package comprising at least one side that is suitable to be
complementary with a side on an adjacent (or juxtaposed)
package, regardless if the package and the adjacent package
are both upside down, right side up or in any combination
thereof.
In a second aspect, the present invention is directed to a
method for marketing products with a group of packages
comprising the package described in the first aspect of
this invention.
Package, as used herein, is defined to mean a container
suitable to contain consumer products whereby such a
container is not limited to any shape or size and can
comprise, for example, metal, glass, plastic, wood or
paperboard, with the proviso that the package does not have
100% of its corners at right angles. Complementary, as used
herein, means an item having a curve or portion that
completes or contributes to another curve or portion (on an
item adjacent thereto), resulting in a group of items that
appear to be puzzle-like in appearance when each member of
the group is placed side by side. Puzzle-like means having
complementary convex and concave portions, and does not
require physically interlocking portions.
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Brief Description of the Drawings
The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is
particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the
concluding portion of the specification. The invention,
however, may be best understood by reference to the
following description taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawing figures in which:
Figures 1 depicts illustrative packaging suitable for use
in this invention and displayed right side up;
Figures 2 and 3 depict groups of illustrative packaging
suitable for use in this invention displayed right side up
and upside down, and upside down, respectively; and
Figure 4 depicts groups of illustrative packaging suitable
for use in this invention having a random and complementary
display pattern.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments
There is no limitation with respect to the type of package
that may be used in this invention other than that the
package is one which is suitable to contain a consumer
product, and especially, a food product. Such a package
typically comprises metal, glass, paperboard or plastic.
In a preferred embodiment, however, the package of the
present invention is a squeezable plastic comprising
polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate,
ethylene-vinyl alcohol, combinations thereof, or the like.
In an especially preferred embodiment, the package of the
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present invention is a bottle comprising polypropylene
wherein the bottle is equipped with a cap suitable for a
squeeze bottle and is able to stand right side up and
upside down. In yet another especially preferred
5 embodiment, the package of this invention comprises at
least two sides that are complementary and opposite each
other, and therefore, when adjacent to a package that is
substantially the same, and preferably identical, the
package of this invention will complement a concave or
convex portion of an adjacent package positioned, for
example, to its right and left.
The consumer products suitable for use with the package of
this invention include hair care products, skin care
products, soap, detergents, beverages and food products.
The preferred products suitable for use with the package of
this invention are food products like mayonnaise, tartar
sauce, salad dressings, cheese condiments, mustard,
ketchup, relish, margarine and dipping sauces. The most
preferred products suitable for use in this invention are
food products made commercially available by Unilever under
the Hellmann's0 and/or Knorro brand names.
As to any labeling that may be employed with the package of
this invention, it is particularly noted that there is no
limitation with respect to how the label is applied to the
package other than that the label can withstand package
shipping conditions and not contaminate any consumer
product compositions present within the package.
Illustrative and non-limiting examples of the type of label
that may be used/applied in this invention include those
which are shrink-wrapped, etched on, painted on, glued on
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with an adhesive or impregnated within the material used to
make the package (which is preferably at least translucent,
and most preferably, transparent).
Typically, at least 30% of the total area of the visual
external surface of the package of this invention is
covered with label, and preferably, from about 40% to about
60%, and most preferably, from about 65% to about 90%,
including all ranges subsumed therein. In an especially
preferred embodiment, the label used is a shrink-wrap
label.
Turning to the Figures, Figure 1 shows illustrative (label
free) packaging suitable for use in this invention and in
the form of two complementary bottles 10a and lOb. For
illustrative purposes only, the complementary bottles l0a
and lOb (which preferably are identical) are both shown
standing right side up and resting on their bottoms 10a1
and lObl, respectively, whereby complementary bottle 10a
has a front surface 10a3, a back surface 10a5, and
preferably, a cap 10a7, and complementary bottle lOb has a
front surface 10b3, a back surface 10b5, and preferably, a
cap 10b7.
Joint 12 is formed by right side up convex surface 14 on
complementary bottle l0a and right side up concave surface
16 on complementary bottle lOb.
Turning to Figure 2, shown are complementary bottles l0a
and l0b with complementary bottle l0a resting on its bottom
10a1 and complementary bottle lOb resting on its cap 10b7.
Front surface 10a3 is positioned as described in Figure 1;
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however, front surface 10b3 as shown in Figure 2 is
reversed (i.e., occupying the position of back surface 10b5
of Figure 1) and inverted on bottle lOb.
Joint 12' is formed by right side up convex surface 14 of
complementary bottle l0a and upside down concave surface
16' on complementary bottle 10b (which also comprises an
upside down convex surface 14'). It is within the scope of
this invention for two complementary packages such as
bottles 10al and lObl to be side-by-side and upside down so
that the bottles are adjacent and preferably resting on
their respective caps 10a7 and 10b7 to create a joint
consisting of two inverted surfaces (demonstrated in Figure
3 at Joint 1211).
Turning to Figure 4, shown are groups of illustrative
packaging 18 and 18" as described in this invention. Row A
shows complementary packages illustrated as bottles in a
two up, two down arrangement. The bottles in the
arrangement have convex and concave portions shown as x
(right side up convex, corresponding to 14); v (right side
up and concave, corresponding to 16); x' (upside down and
convex, corresponding to 14') and v' (upside down and
concave, corresponding to 16'), and therefore, at least two
complementary portions. Joints I, II, III and IV are
created by making combinations of the convex and concave
portions. It is particularly noted that row A begins with
right side up and convex portion x, and therefore, back
surfaces 10a5 and l0b5 (as shown in Figure 1) are now
depicted facing forward, demonstrating that the packages of
this invention can at least be rotated 1800 in either
direction to create joints and a puzzle-like appearance.
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Row B shows complementary packages illustrated as bottles
in a one up, one down arrangement. The row begins with a
right side up concave portion v and joints I and III are
created by making combinations of the convex and concave
portions. It should be understood that(as it relates to the
bottles)the front left L of row A is the back right R in
row B and the front right r in row A is the back left 1 in
row B.
Looking at groups 18 and 18', a puzzle-like appearance
(which is attractive to consumers) is created, for example,
by aligning at least one complementary portion of one
package with at least one complementary portion of another
package, placed adjacent thereto whereby convex and concave
portions align to form joints.
As to any labels which may be used in this invention, such
labels become part of or are applied on to the packages in
preferably the same manner or orientation, meaning that the
top of the label and the bottom of label on each package is
essentially in the same place regardless if the package is
right side up or upside down (depicted in Z of Figure 4).
Moreover, if desired, the labels employed on each
individual package can optionally be complementary (or
continuing) to each other as shown in row A and at
connective portions t and t". A more detailed description
of complementary or continuing labels is described in
commonly owned U.S. Application No. 11/269,405, entitled,
"Packaging with Continuing Labels," to van der Krogt et al,
the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by
reference. Another alternative is for the labels employed
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to be independent of each other as shown in row B.
Labeling to the sides and backs of the packages of this
invention is not typically required, but is often desired
so that consumer nutritional information and additional
advertising techniques may be employed in order for
marketers to take full advantage of the limited surface
area of the packages described herein.
