Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02797156 2012-11-28
Light Activated Try-Me Packaging
Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to packaging for a product, such as a
toy, and in
particular, to packaging that allows for the activation of a light source to
demonstrate the
color changing effect of the product.
Background of the Invention
[0002] Some conventional product package assemblies employ the concept of a
"Try-
Me" feature for the product contained within the package assembly, enabling
potential
purchasers to try the product before purchasing it. Furthermore, some package
assemblies utilize lights or sounds to attract attention to the product
within. Many toy
packaged assemblies, however, lack the combination of the "Try-Me" feature of
a
product and a light source that activates a color change element in the
product.
[0003] Therefore, there is a need for package assembly that enables potential
purchasers
to try a product with a light source and, in particular, activate a color
changing product
that reacts to the light source.
Summary of the Invention
[0004] The present invention is directed to a product package assembly. In one
embodiment, the package assembly contains an insert with at least one tapered
surface to
position a light source and/or a toy product with respect to each other. The
package
assembly positions a light source and a toy product in a manner that optimizes
the
amount of light that illuminates the toy product. The toy product includes a
color
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CA 02797156 2012-11-28
changing portion that reacts to the light beam from the light source. The toy
package
assembly further includes an opening allowing actuation of the light source.
[0005] In one embodiment, a package or packaging assembly for a toy comprises
a
backing sheet, a blister pack attached to the backing sheet, the blister pack
comprising a
body portion and an insert placed within the body portion, the insert
comprising a first
and second cavity, a light source positioned within the first cavity of the
insert, and a
product positioned within the second cavity of the insert so the light source
illuminates
the product when actuated.
[0006] In an alternative embodiment, the product contains a color changing
portion that
is responsive to the light produced from the light source.
[0007] In an alternative embodiment, the insert contains a tapered surface for
the light
source and for the product that positions the light source and product at an
angle with
respect to each other for casting the light beam from the light source over a
greater area
of the product.
[0008] In an alternative embodiment, the body portion of the blister pack
comprises an
opening that corresponds to or is substantially aligned with the light source.
[0009] In an alternative embodiment, the light source comprises an actuator,
an LED,
and a power source.
[0010] In an alternative embodiment, the light source emits a light beam in
the UV
spectrum (400nm ¨ 300 nm).
[00111 In an alternative embodiment, the product includes wheels.
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[0012] In an alternative embodiment, the backing sheet has a front surface. In
addition,
the backing sheet includes a top edge that comprises a groove.
[0013] In an alternative embodiment, a product assembly comprises a backing
sheet, a
blister pack attached to the backing sheet, the blister pack comprising a body
portion and
an insert, the insert defining a receptacle and a channel placed within the
body portion, a
light source placed within the receptacle, and a product placed within the
insert with at
least a portion of the product placed within the channel of the insert.
[0014] In an alternative embodiment, the product contains a color changing
portion that
is responsive to the light produced from the light source.
[0015] In an alternative embodiment, the product comprises a doll with hair
[0016] In an alternative embodiment, the hair of the product includes a color
changing
portion that is at least a portion of the hair of the doll.
[00171 In an alternative embodiment, the insert has a tapered surface for the
channel for
positioning the at least a portion of the product within the channel at an
angle with
respect to a light source for casting a light beam over a greater area of the
product.
[0018] In an alternative embodiment, the body portion of the blister pack
defines an
opening that corresponds to the light source.
[0019] In an alternative embodiment, the light source comprises an actuator,
an LED,
and a power source.
[0020] In an alternative embodiment, the light source is in the shape of a
wand.
[0021] In an alternative embodiment, the light source emits a light beam in
the UV
spectrum (400nm ¨ 300 nm).
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[0022] In an alternative embodiment, the backing sheet has of a front surface.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0023] Fig. 1 illustrates a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of
product
packaging according to the present invention.
[0024] Fig. 2 illustrates a front view of an embodiment of product packaging
according
to the present invention.
[0025] Fig. 3 illustrates a front perspective view of the blister pack insert
of the product
packaging illustrated in Fig. 2.
[0026] Fig. 4 illustrates a side view of the blister pack insert of the
product packaging
illustrated in Fig. 2.
[0027] Fig. 5 illustrates a close-up front view of the light source and color
changing
portion of the product illustrated in Fig. 2.
[0028] Fig. 6 illustrates a top perspective view of the light source and
blister pack insert
of the product packaging illustrated in Fig. 2.
[0029] Fig. 7 illustrates a front view of another embodiment of the product
packaging
according to the present invention.
[0030] Fig. 8 illustrates a schematic side view of the light source and
blister pack insert
of the product packaging illustrated in Fig. 7.
[0031] Fig. 9 illustrates a perspective view of the blister pack insert of the
product
packaging illustrated in Fig. 7.
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, .
[0032] Like reference numerals have been used to identify like elements
throughout this
disclosure.
Detailed Description of the Invention
[0033] A product package assembly according to the present invention includes
packaging, a light source, and a product that is positioned or coupled to the
packaging so
that it is illuminated by the light source. In one embodiment, the light
source is an LED.
In other embodiments, the light source is a lamp, a bulb, or other light
emitting member.
In another embodiment, the light source emits a light beam near the UV light
spectrum,
about 400 nm to 300 nm. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the product
has a color
changing element that reacts to illumination from a light source. In another
embodiment,
the color change element of the product is constructed from photochromic
materials.
[0034] Referring to Fig. 1, a schematic block diagram of a package assembly
according
to the present invention is illustrated. Package assembly 5 contains a package
or
packaging 10, which houses a light source 12 and a product 20. In one
embodiment, the
packaging 10 is configured to substantially or fully enclose the product 20.
In another
embodiment, the packaging 10 is configured to support the product 20 in a
manner in
which the product 20 is not enclosed.
[0035] The product 20 has a color change portion/element 22, which can
encompass the
entire product 20 or a portion of the product 20. In one embodiment, the light
source 12
is an LED and is illuminated in response to user activation of a switch and/or
actuator.
When the light source 12 is illuminated within the packaging 10, the light
source 12 emits
a light beam 14 that illuminates the product 20, and more specifically, the
color change
portion/element 22, changing the color of the color change portion/element 22.
CA 02797156 2012-11-28
100361 Illustrated in Fig. 2 is one embodiment of the package assembly 5.
Referring to
Fig. 2, the package assembly 100 includes product packaging101, a light source
160, and
a product 180. Product packaging 101 is formed from backing sheet 110 and
blister pack
120. In one embodiment, backing sheet 110 is constructed from cardboard. In
another
embodiment, backing sheet 110 is constructed from other materials, such as
paper stock,
plastic, or other deformable materials that provide structure for the blister
pack. In one
embodiment, backing sheet 100 contains a front surface 112 and a top edge 114.
Front
surface 112 may contain graphical images or words that describe, advertise, or
provide
information about the product 180. Top edge 114 may contain a groove 116,
which
allows the package assembly 100 to be hung for display on fixtures within
stores.
100371 The blister pack 120 includes a body portion 122 and an insert 140 (see
Fig. 3).
Blister pack 120 may be constructed from a transparent or translucent
material, such as
plastic. In one embodiment, body portion 122 may have a substantially
rectangular or
square shape. In other embodiments, body portion 122 may have another
substantially
geometric shape, such as a circle or triangle. Additionally, body portion 122
contains a
front surface 124 and a bottom surface 130. Bottom surface 130 allows for the
package
assembly 100 to be placed on shelves in an upright position. Front surface 124
may
further contain an opening 128 and an opening edge 126 that defines the
opening 128.
The opening 128 may be placed on the front surface 124 in a location proximate
to the
light source 160 to allow potential purchasers to actuate the light source 160
through
opening 128.
[0038] Referring to Fig. 3, the insert 140 of blister pack 120 contains a
first wall portion
142 and a second wall portion 148. First wall portion 142 defines a first
cavity 146,
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..... .
which is designed to contain light source 160 in the package assembly 100. The
light
source 160 includes a light emitting diode (LED) 170 as described below.
Second wall
portion 148 defines a second cavity 152, which is designed to house the
product 180 in
the package assembly 5. Furthermore, light source 160, when placed in the
first cavity
146, is positioned in proximity to the opening 128 in front surface 124 of
body portion
122. This positioning allows potential purchasers to utilize actuator 168 on
light source
160 via opening 128.
[0039] Referring back to Fig. 2, product 180 is in the shape of a toy vehicle.
In this
embodiment, product 180 includes a body 182 and wheels 188 coupled to the body
182.
The body 182 of the product 180 has an outer surface 184 that contains a color
change
portion/element or area 186. As described previously, the color change
portion/element
area, when illuminated by light source 160, changes color in response to the
near LTV
light from the light source 160.
[00401 Referring to Fig. 3, insert 140 is supporting light source 160 within
first cavity
146 and product 180 within second cavity 152, as described above. As shown,
first wall
portion 142 contains a first tapered surface 144. When light source 160 is
placed within
first cavity 146, light source 160 is supported by first wall portion 142 and
first tapered
surface 144. First tapered surface 144 positions light source 160 within first
cavity 146
where the light source 160 stands offset from a vertical plane.
[0041] Similarly, second wall portion 148 contains a second tapered surface
150. When
product 180 is placed within second cavity 152, product 180 is held in place
by second
wall portion 148 and supported by second tapered surface 150. Second tapered
surface
150 supports product 180 within second cavity 152 situating or positioning
product 180
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offset from the horizontal plane. As a result, in this embodiment, the product
180 is
oriented at an angle such that the color change portion/element is easily
visible by a
consumer.
[0042] Referring to Fig. 4, insert 140 is supporting light source 160 within
first cavity
146 and product 180 within second cavity 152. As previously described, light
source 160
is offset from the vertical plane when positioned in first cavity 146 of
insert 140. This
vertical offset is due to the support provided by first tapered surface 144.
Furthermore, as
previously described, product 180 is offset from the horizontal plane when
positioned in
second cavity 152 of insert 140. This horizontal offset is provided by second
tapered
surface 150. Due to the positioning of the light source 160 by the first
tapered surface
144 and product 180 by the second tapered surface 150, the light beam 174,
emitted by
light source 160, illuminates product 180 at an angle other than ninety (90)
degrees. This
positioning of the light source 160 optimizes the amount of light that
illuminates the color
change portion/element 186 of the product 180.
[0043] Referring to Fig. 5, a close-up view of a portion of the package
assembly 100. In
this embodiment, light source 160 contains a housing 162 and a first opening
164 in the
housing 162. In this embodiment, the opening 164 is shaped and sized to
receive an LED
170. In other embodiments, the opening 164 in the housing 162 is shaped and
sized to fit
a light emitting member, such as a lamp or a bulb. As illustrated in Fig. 5,
when the LED
170 of the light source 160 is direction upon and illuminates the outer
surface 184 of the
body 182 of the product 180, the portion of the outer surface 184 on which the
LED 170
is directed changes color as the body 182 of the product includes a color
change material,
such as a photochromic material therein.
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[0044] Another view of the light source 160 and product 180 is illustrated in
Fig. 6. The
housing 162 of the light source 160 includes a second opening 166 configured
to fit an
actuator 168. In this embodiment, the actuator 168 is a push button. When the
actuator
168 is depressed, the light source 160 is activated or turned on and the LED
170 emits a
light beam 174. In another embodiment, the actuator 168 may be a different
type of
actuator, such as a switch, a slider, or a rotating element, such as a dial.
Furthermore,
within housing 162 is a power source (not shown) that is used to power the LED
170 to
create a light beam 174. In the present embodiment, the power source is a
battery. In
another embodiment, the power source may be an external power source.
[0045] Moreover, Fig. 6 illustrates a color change that occurred on a portion
of the outer
surface 184 of the body 182 of the product 180. The color change
portion/element 186
reacts to the LED 172 of the light source 160 when the LED 172 emits a light
beam 174.
In this present embodiment, the color change portion/element 186 is
constructed from
photochromic material, making it susceptible to dramatic variations of the
electromagnetic spectrum. In the present embodiment, the LED 172 emits a light
beam
174 in the near UV spectrum, which is in the range of 400 nm to 300 nm.
[0046] Referring to Fig. 7, another embodiment of the present invention is
illustrated. In
this embodiment, package assembly 200 includes product packaging 201, a light
source
240, and a product 260. Product packaging 201 is formed from backing sheet 210
and
blister pack 220. Similar to backing sheet 110, backing sheet 210 is
constructed from a
deformable material that provides structure, such as cardboard, and has a
front surface
212 with graphical images or words that describe, advertise, or provide
information on
the product 260. In this embodiment, the blister pack 220 is attached to the
backing sheet
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,
210, where the blister pack 220 covers the entire backing sheet 210. The
blister pack 220
may be attached to the backing sheet 210 in several ways, such as being glued
onto the
front surface 212 of the backing sheet 210.
100471 The blister pack 220 contains a body portion 222 and an insert 230 (see
Fig. 8).
Held within the blister pack 220 are the product 260 and a light source 240.
The body
portion 222 contains a front surface 224 which is transparent or translucent,
allowing the
product 260 and the light source 240 to be visible. Front surface 224 contains
an opening
228 and an opening edge 226 defining the opening 228, which are positioned in
proximity to the light source 240.
[0048] As illustrated in Fig. 7, in this embodiment, the product 260 is a toy
figure, such
as a doll. The product 260 has a body 262 resembling that of a doll, and hair
264, which
encompasses the color change element 266 of the product 260. In other words,
at least a
portion of the hair 264 of the doll 260 is made of a color change material
that functions as
the color change element 266. Furthermore, the light source 260 in this
embodiment is in
the shape of a wand. The light source 260 contains a port/opening 244 for
light to shine
from a light source, such as an LED, located within the housing of the wand,
and an
actuator 246.
10049] Referring to Fig. 8, a side view of the insert 230, the light source
240, and the
hair 264 is illustrated. As shown, the light source 240 has a housing 242 and
an actuator
246. Within the housing 242 are a power source 250 and an LED 248. The power
source
250 enables the LED 248 to emit a light beam 252 when the actuator 246 is
depressed.
Furthermore, as previously discussed, a light producing device other than an
LED 248
may be used to produce a light beam 252 from the light source 240.
CA 02797156 2012-11-28
... .
100501 The side view of the insert 230 illustrated in Fig. 8, displays insert
230 having a
tapered surface 234 with hair 264 positioned on top of the tapered surface
234. The hair
contains color changing portion/element 266, which in this embodiment entails
a portion
of the hair 264 containing a photochromic material. In one implementation, the
photochromic material is formed in the strands of hair. In another
implementation, the
photochromic material is a coating that is applied to the strands of hair. The
insert 230
positions hair 264 on the tapered surface 234 and the light source 240 is
oriented to
illuminate the tapered surface 234 with light beam 252. The tapered surface
234 of the
insert 230 allows the light beam 252 of the light source 240 to illuminate the
hair 264 at
an optimized angle, illuminating a greater area of the hair 264. The tapered
surface 234
enables more of the hair 264 that contains the color change portion/element
266 to be
illuminated, and react to the light beam 252 from light source 240.
100511 A perspective view of an insert 230 according to the alternative
embodiment is
illustrated by Fig. 9. Fig. 9 illustrates the insert 230 having a housing 231
including a
light source receptacle 236 with receptacle wall 238. The combination of the
light source
receptacle 236 and receptacle wall 238 in the insert 230 allow for placement
of the light
source 240 in the receptacle in the insert 230. The light source receptacle
236 is shaped
to mate with the light source 240. The light source receptacle 236 and the
receptacle wall
238 keep the light source in place within the blister pack 220 and the product
packaging
201 during movement of the product package assembly 200. Furthermore, as
illustrated
by Fig. 9, insert 230 contains a channel 232 which extends from the light
source
receptacle 236, along the tapered surface 234 of the insert 230. The hair 264
of the
product 260 fits within channel 232. This channel 232 enables the hair 264 of
the
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ft,
product 260 to be positioned relative to the light source 260, maximizing the
exposure of
the hair 264 with the color changing portion/element 266 to the light beam 252
of the
light source 240. The channel 232 aligns the hair 264 with the port/opening
242 of the
light source 240.
[0052] It is to be understood that terms such as "left," "right," "top,"
"bottom," "front,"
"end," "rear," "side," "height," "length," "width," "upper," "lower,"
"interior,"
"exterior," "inner," "outer" and the like as may be used herein, merely
described points
or portions of reference and do not limit the present invention to any
particular
orientation or configuration. Further, terms such as "first," "second,"
"third," etc.,
merely identify one of a number of portions, components, and/or points of
reference as
disclosed herein, and do not limit the present invention to any particular
configuration or
orientation.
[0053] Although the disclosed inventions are illustrated and described herein
as
embodied in one or more specific examples, it is nevertheless not intended to
be limited
to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may
be made
therein without departing from the scope of the inventions. In addition,
various features
from one of the embodiments may be incorporated into another of the
embodiments.
Accordingly, it is appropriate that the invention be construed broadly and in
a manner
consistent with the scope of the disclosure.
[0054] Exemplary descriptions of the present invention include the following:
[0055] A. A packaging assembly for a toy, comprising: a backing sheet,
a
blister pack attached to the backing sheet, the blister pack comprising a body
portion and
an insert positioned within the body portion, the insert comprising a first
and second
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cavity, a light source positioned within the first cavity of the insert, and a
product
positioned within the second cavity of the insert so the light source
illuminates the
product when actuated.
[0056] B. The packaging assembly of A above, wherein the product
contains
a color changing portion that is responsive to the light produced from the
light source.
[0057] C. The packaging assembly of A above, wherein the insert
contains a
tapered surface for the light source and for the product, for positioning the
light source
and product at an angle with respect to each other for casting the light beam
from the
light source over a greater area of the product.
[0058] D. The packaging assembly of A above, wherein the body portion
comprises an opening that corresponds to the light source.
[0059] E. The packaging assembly of A above, wherein the light source
comprises an actuator, an LED, and a power source.
[0060] F. The packaging assembly of A above, wherein the light source
emits a light beam in the UV spectrum (400nm ¨ 300 nm).
[0061] G. The packaging assembly of A above, wherein the product
comprises wheels.
[0062] H. The packaging assembly of A above, wherein the backing sheet
comprises a front surface.
[0063] I. The packaging assembly of A above, wherein the backing sheet
comprises
a top edge that comprises a groove.
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[0064] J. A product assembly, comprising: a backing sheet, a blister
pack
attached to the backing sheet, the blister pack comprising a body portion and
an insert
placed within the body portion with a receptacle and a channel, a light source
placed
within the receptacle, and a product placed within the insert with at least a
portion of the
product placed within the channel of the insert.
[0065] K. The product assembly of J above, wherein the product contains a
color
changing portion that is responsive to the light produced from the light
source.
[0066] L. The packaging assembly of J above, wherein the product comprises
a doll
with hair
[0067] M. The packaging assembly of J above, wherein at least a portion of
the hair
of comprises the color changing portion of the product.
[0068] N. The product assembly of J above, wherein the insert contains a
tapered
surface for the channel for positioning the at least a portion of the product
within the
channel at an angle with respect to light source for casting a light beam over
a greater
area of the product.
[0069] 0. The product assembly of J above, wherein the body portion
comprises an
opening that corresponds to the light source.
[0070] P. The product assembly of J above, wherein the light source
comprises an
actuator, an LED, and a power source.
[0071] Q. The product assembly of J above, wherein the light source is in
the shape
of a wand.
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. .
[0072] R. The product assembly of J above, wherein the light source emits a
light
beam in the UV spectrum (400nm ¨ 300 nm).
[0073] S. The product assembly of J above, wherein the backing sheet
includes a
front surface.
