Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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CONFECTIONARY PACKAGING DESIGN
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.
60/576,122, filed June 2, 2004, entitled "Packaging Design with Separate
Compartments", the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to packaging for chewing gum and other
products,
and more particularly to the shape of such packaging for chewing gum and other
products.
BACKGROUND
Chewing gum is currently available to consumers in a variety of different
formats.
These include stick gum, slab gum, pellet gum, extruded gum, and others. Stick
gum
may come in sizes with a length of approximately 6 - 7 cm, a width of
approximately 1.5
- 2 cm, and a thickness of approximately 0.2 cm. Slab gum may come in a size
of
approximately 4.5 cm in length, 1.2 cm in width, and 0.3 cm in thickness.
A variety of types of gum packaging also exist, including certain types of
packaging used predominately for one or the other of the gum formats. Slabs of
gum
have often been sold in foil packages. Originally, these slabs were arranged
in a package
in a side-to-side manner, perhaps including five to seven slabs per package.
More
recently, these slabs have been arranged within the foil packages in a face-to-
face manner,
allowing 14-20 slabs to be contained in a convenient package.
Such packaging is currently popular and achieves satisfactory results. It has
been
discovered, however, that this approach does have certain drawbacks. These
drawbacks
relate to the lack of a suitable means for closing the package once it has
been opened.
Typically, a portion of the foil packaging is torn off to allow access to the
slabs. The
package may then be stored or placed in a purse, jacket, or pants pocket.
While stored in
this manner, some of the slabs may fall out of the package. Also, while stored
in this
manner it is very possible for foreign material, such as lint, dirt, and so
forth, to enter the
package. Subsequently, when the package is retrieved from the purse or pocket,
some of
the slabs may have slipped out of the package and be loose in the purse or
pocket. Also,
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the package may not look appealing once retrieved from the purse or pocket,
due to
foreign material that may have entered or adhered to the package. This point
is important
to those who market gum products, as they seek to enhance the social aspects
of sharing
the contents of the gum package with others.
Furthermore, as part of the marketing of gum to consumers it may be desirable
to
offer different package shapes. It is against this background and with a
desire to improve
on the prior art that a packaging design for gum and other products has been
developed.
SUMMARY
A package for containing pieces of an edible product is provided that includes
a
compartment formed to receive and contain a plurality of individual pieces of
an edible
product, the compartment having a front wall and a back wall. The package also
includes
a cover flap extending from a back wall of the compartment and adapted for
folding over
at least a portion of the front wall of the compartment, the cover flap being
asymmetrical
is with respect to an axis, the axis extending through the compartment and the
cover flap
when the cover flap is extended.
The cover flap may be selectably engageable with the front wall of the
compartment. The front wall of the compartment may include a receiving slot
defined
therein for selectably receiving a portion of the cover flap. The receiving
slot may be
offset with respect to the axis. The receiving slot may be chevron-shaped. The
pieces of
an edible product may be individual slabs of chewing gum.
A package for containing pieces of a product is provided that includes a
compartment formed to receive and contain a plurality of individual pieces of
a product,
the compartment having a front wall and a back wall. The package also includes
a cover
flap extending from a back wall of the compartment and adapted for folding
over at least
a portion of the front wall of the compartment, the cover flap being
asymmetrical with
respect to an axis, the axis extending through the compartment and the cover
flap when
the cover flap is extended.
Numerous additional features and advantages of the present invention will
become
apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the further
description that
follows.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the packaging design, shown in a closed
position.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the packaging design of Figure 1, shown in
an
open position and containing a plurality of individually packaged slabs of
gum.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the packaging design of Figure 1, after an
empty
lower compartment thereof has been separated therefrom.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the remaining portion of the packaging
design of
Figure 3, showing a cover flap thereof tucked in place to close the package,
after the
empty lower compartment has been removed.
Figure 5 is a plan view of a first unfolded paperboard blank used to form the
upper
compartment and cover flap of the packaging design.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the blank of Figure 5, showing the side
flaps
folded up, and the bottom flap partially folded.
Figure 7 is a plan view of a second unfolded paperboard blank used to form the
lower compartment of the packaging design.
Figure 8 is a perspective view of the blank of Figure 7, showing the side
flaps
folded up, the bottom flap partially folded up, and the connecting flap folded
down, with
adhesive applied thereto.
Figure 9 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the packaging design,
showing
an alternative shape for the cover flap and receiving slot, the cover flap
being tucked into
the receiving slot.
Figure 10 is a plan view of the second embodiment shown in Figure 9, the cover
flap being untucked from the receiving slot and partially folded upward.
Figure 11 is a plan view of the second embodiment shown in Figure 9, the cover
flap being untucked from the receiving slot and folded upward and with a lower
compartment removed.
Figure 12 is a plan view of an opposite side of the second embodiment shown in
Figure 9, the cover flap being untucked from the receiving slot and folded
upward and the
lower compartment allowed to swing down and hang from the lower compartment.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which assist in
illustrating the various pertinent features of the packaging design. Although
the invention
will now be described primarily in conjunction with gum packaging, it should
be
expressly understood that the invention may be applicable to other
applications where
multiple separable compartments, each for one or more removable objects, is
required/desired. In this regard, the following description of a gum packaging
design is
presented for purposes of illustration and description. Furthermore, the
description is not
intended to limit the invention to the form disclosed herein. Consequently,
variations and
modifications commensurate with the following teachings, and skill and
knowledge of the
relevant art, are within the scope of the packaging design. The embodiments
described
herein are further intended to explain modes known of practicing the invention
and to
enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention in such, or other
embodiments and
with various modifications required by the particular application(s) or use(s)
of the
packaging design.
The packaging design employs two paperboard blanks 10 and 12 (Figures 5 and
7), scored in a manner to be folded so that each form a compartment for
containing a
consumable product, such as chewing gum. One of the blanks forms an upper
compartment 14, while the other of the blanks forms a lower compartment 16.
One blank
(or compartment) is adhered to the other in a manner to allow one to be easily
separated
from the other by tearing along a perforation. The compartments 14 and 16 are
originally
provided in this attached manner and folded together to place one facing the
other, with a
cover flap 18 from the upper compartment 14 having an end 20 laid over a
receiving slot
22 in a back panel 24 of the lower compartment 16. The consumer can tuck this
end 20
into the slot 22 to form a compact package 26, such as is shown in Fig. 1.
Once purchased, a clear film (not shown) can be removed from the package 18 so
that the customer can lift the flap 18 to allow the lower compartment 16 to
swing down
into the position shown in Fig. 2. In this position, the customer can remove
slabs 28 of
the product as desired or share with others. The package 26 can then be
returned to its
original configuration as shown in Fig. 1. If the customer wishes, they can
consume the
slabs 28 of gum from the lower compartment 16 first and then, once emptied,
separate the
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compartments 14 and 16 from each other by tearing along a perforated score
line as
shown in Fig. 3. Next, if desired, the customer can fold the cover flap 18
down over the
upper compartment 14 and tuck the end 20 of the cover flap 18 into a receiving
slot 84
formed in the upper compartment 14 (as shown in Fig. 4) and continue to use
the upper
compartment 14 of the package 26 in this manner until all the product is
consumed.
As shown in Figure 5, the first paperboard blank 10 has the cover flap 18
extending from one side thereof and a bottom flap 30 extending from an
opposite side
thereof. On the lateral sides of the first paperboard blank 10, a pair of
lateral side flaps 32
and 34 extend in opposite directions. The remaining central portion of the
first
paperboard blank 10 forms a back panel 35 for the upper compartment 14. The
first
paperboard blank 10 is composed of SBS (solid bleach sulfate) paperboard, in
part
because of the good folding properties of this material. Alternatively, the
comparhnents
14 and 16 could be composed of some other suitable material, such as polyvinyl
chloride
(PVC). The paperboard material may have a white clay emulsion coating on an
outside
surface thereof and no coating on an inside surface thereof. The coating
enhances the
ability to print on the paperboard, which may occur prior to the cut, scoring,
and assembly
steps described below. There could also be a laminate of holographic material
added to
the printed side.
As can be seen in Figure 5, the cover flap 18 is generally five-sided with one
side
being defined along the score line 36, two orthogonal lateral sides 54 and 56
and a pair of
top sides 58 and 60 that extend from the lateral sides 54 and 56 and meet at
the end 20 of
the cover flap 18. The bottom flap 30 includes a side that is defined by the
score line 40,
a pair of orthogonal lateral sides 62 and 64 and a bottom side 66 that is
orthogonal to the
lateral sides 62 and 64. The lateral side flaps 32 and 34 are mirror images of
each other,
so only lateral side flap 32 will be described in detail. The lateral side
flap 32 includes a
generally rectangular portion between the score lines 42 and 52 that will form
a side panel
68 to the upper compartment 14. The remaining portion of the lateral side flap
32 forms a
front wing 70 after the lateral side flap 32 is folded along score lines 42
and 52. The front
wing includes a generally rectangular section and a generally triangular
section located
above the generally rectangular section.
As can be appreciated in Figure 5, the first paperboard blank 10 is scored in
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multiple places along score lines 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, and 52.
Lines 36, 38, 40,
42, and 44 are regular score lines, while lines 46, 48, 50, and 52 are cut
score lines. A
regular score line is a crease formed in the paperboard using a tool having
male and
female matching channels that are applied to the paperboard blank 10 from
opposite sides
to form a V shape in the material. A cut score line differs from a regular
score line in that
the cut score line is not only scored in the manner described above, but small
slits are also
cut entirely through the material at spaced apart locations along the line. A
cut score
creates a line that is easier to fold than does a regular score line. The
drawback is that a
cut score line does not have as neat an appearance as a regular score line
when the
assembled closed is viewed externally by a consumer. For this reason, lines
that will be
visible when the package is fully assembled, as shown in Figure 1, are regular
score lines
while the remaining fold lines may be cut score lines.
As is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the lateral side flaps 32 and 34 are
folded
along score lines 42, 52, 38, and 48 to form the front wings 70, while the
bottom flap 30
is folded along score lines 40 and 50 to form a bottom wall 80 and a front
panel 82.
Adhesive (not shown) can then be applied to the surface of the front wings
facing toward
the front panel and/or to the portion of the front panel facing toward the
front wings to
affix the front panel 82 to the front wings 70. In this manner, the upper
compartment 14
is formed from the first paperboard blank 10.
The bottom flap 30 includes a receiving slot 84 formed in the front panel 82
thereof. In Figure 4, the upper compartment 14 is shown with the end 20 of the
cover flap
18 inserted into the receiving slot 84 on the front panel 82 of the upper
compartment 14.
As can be appreciated, it is intended that this slot 84 would only be used to
close the
package when the lower compartment 16 has been removed.
The second paperboard blank 12 is similar to the first paperboard blank in
many
respects. It is composed of the same material and has a clay coating on one
side to
enhance the ability to print material thereon. The second paperboard blank 12
also
includes a bottom flap 90 and lateral side flaps 92 and 94 that are identical
to the bottom
flap 30 and lateral side flaps 32 and 34 of the first paperboard blank 10. The
primary
differences between the second paperboard blank 12 and the paperboard blank 10
relate to
a connecting flap 96 on the second paperboard blank 12 and the receiving slot
22 on the
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lower compartment 16.
The connecting flap 96 of the second paperboard blank 12 is significantly
different
than the cover flap 18 of the first paperboard blank 10. The connecting flap
96 is
generally rectangular with one side being defined by a regular score line 98
on a bottom
side thereof, a pair of lateral sides 100 and 102, and a top side 104. A
perforated score
line 106 divides the connecting flap 96 into an upper portion 108 and a lower
portion 110.
The perforated score line 106 includes a score and a series of perforations
that are close
enough together to only leave that amount of paper necessary to hold the
portions 108 and
110 together until separation is desired. When desired, this perforated score
line 106
enables detachment so that portions 108 and 110 can be fairly easily separated
by the
customer. As is shown in Figures 2 and 8, the upper portion 108 of the
connecting flap 96
includes adhesive 112 applied to an inner surface thereof for attachment to
the outer
surface of the bottom wall 80 of the upper compartment 14. This is shown in
Figures 1
and 2. Figure 3 shows the two compartments 14 and 16 after they have been
separated
from each other along the perforated score line 106.
When attached in this manner, the back panel of the lower compartment 16 and
the front panel of the upper compartment 14 would tend to hang in generally
the same
plane when in the open position of Figure 2 and with the upper compartment
held
vertically, allowing the lower compartment to hang downwardly therefrom. The
lower
portion 110 of the connecting flap could then be sized to have a height
approximately
equal to a side wall of the lower compartment.
The lower compartment 16 also differs from the upper compartment 14 in the
location and orientation of the receiving slot 22 on the lower compartment 16
relative to
the receiving slot 84 on the upper compartment 14. The receiving slot 22 in
the lower
compartment 16 is fonned in the back pane124 of the lower compartment 16 as
compared
to the front panel 82 for the receiving slot 84. In this case, the receiving
slot 22 is
oriented so that the curved portion points in an opposite direction from the
curved portion
of the receiving slot 84 when the package is in the orientation shown in
Figures 2 and 3.
When the lower compartment 16 is folded up adjacent to the upper compartment
14 in the
orientation shown in Figure 1, then the curved portion is oriented in a
direction to allow
the end 20 of the cover flap 18 to be engaged therewith. Other than the
differences
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already described with regard to the connecting flap 96, the folding and
attachment of the
lateral side flaps 92 and 94 and the bottom flap 90 to each other is performed
in a similar
manner to that described above in conjunction with the upper compartment 14.
An alternative embodiment is shown in Figures 9-12. The primary differences
s between this embodiment and the first embodiment described above relate to
the shape of
the cover flap and the location of the receiving slots on the upper and lower
compartments. As can be seen, the cover flap 120 in this embodiment is
laterally
asymmetrical. As shown in Figure 11, the flap 120 is not symmetrical with
respect to an
axis 130, in that the flap is taller on one side than the other. Consequently,
the receiving
slot 122 in the lower compartment is offset toward one lateral side so as to
be in position
to receive an end of the cover flap 120. The receiving slot 124 in the upper
compartment
is similarly offset in this manner. As can be appreciated, the teachings of
this invention
apply to other arrangements with differently-shaped cover flaps and
differently-shaped
and positioned receiving slots, including different types of asymmetries.
Furthermore,
this asymmetrical flap design and offset receiving slot design is applicable
to other types
of confectionary product containers, including gum packages. For example, it
could be
used for a gum package having only a single compartment such as is shown in
Figure 11.
The asymmetrical flap may provide for additional space thereon (or differently-
shaped
space) for promotional materials to appear on the outside of the package.
Furthermore, such a flap 120 (or the flap 18 shown in Figures 1-6) could be
further modified to include one or more orifices therein that would allow a
portion of the
package beneath the flap to show through. For example, graphics or other
promotional
materials on the gum compartment under the closed cover flap could be seen
through one
or more orifices on the flap. Also, the gum compartment may have a raised
feature(s) that
could extend through or partially through the orifice(s). In one example,
there could be a
single circular orifice through which graphics could be seen and/or a raised
feature could
protrude.
As another alternative (not shown), the lower compartment 16 could be attached
to the upper comparhnent by applying adhesive 112 to the outer surface of the
upper
portion 108 of the connecting flap 96 for attachment to the outer surface of
the bottom
wall 80 of the upper compartment 14. When attached in this manner, the back
panels of
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each of the upper and lower compartments 14 and 16 would tend to hang in
generally the
same plane when in the open position of Figure 2 and with the upper
compartment held
vertically, allowing the lower compartment to hang downwardly therefrom. The
lower
portion 110 of the connecting flap could then be sized to have a height
approximately
equal to the sum of a side wall of the upper comparhnent and a side wall of
the lower
compartment.
Typically, the gum product is manufactured, then chilled and aged. Slab and
stick
gum is prepared by rolling the gum product into sheets, cutting it into lanes,
then scoring
it into individual pieces. It has been found to be useful for the individual
slabs of gum to
be individually wrapped in separate sheets of waxed paper and then a row of
such gum
slabs wrapped in such manner can be placed in a foil half-pouch (not shown).
The gum
package is assembled at the same time. Thus, the paperboard is printed, cut,
and scored.
It is then folded, filled, assembled, closed, and a clear film with tear tape
is attached to the
outside. A display tray with twelve such packages is prepared, these display
trays are
over-wrapped with clear film, and then they are placed in corrugated shippers,
palletized,
and then shrink-wrapped. It is then warehoused and shipped to distribution
centers.
In some embodiments, the gum slabs may be adhered or otherwise attached to the
package. This may keep the gum slabs from falling out or tipping over inside
of the
package. Thus, the gum slabs may be releasably secured or attached to or into
the
package. There are many possibilities for adhering the gum slabs into the
package. One
possibility would be to place the gum slabs into or onto a foil half pouch,
paper or plastic
strip, wrap around band, or other type of sheet-like material (collectively
referred to
herein referred to as a "sheet") before it is placed into the package. The
sheet may include
a single layer or multiple layers. One of the layers may include moisture
barrier material
to reduce the amount of moisture absorbed by the gum slabs when the gum slabs
are in
the package.
As an alternative to using a sheet, the gum slabs could be placed directly
into the
package without the use of a sheet. If the slabs were placed directly into the
package, they
(or their wrappers) could be adhered thereto or not. For example, the gum
slabs may be
adhered via wax or other adhesive to one or more inner surfaces of the
package. The wax
or adhesive may be included or provided in one or more strips or bands of
adhesive that
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adhere to more than one gum slab. The package itself may contain a paraffin or
other
waxy material on its inner surface to adhere to the gum slabs. Alternatively,
a plurality of
wax or adhesive spots or areas may be created on one or more inner surfaces of
the
package, each attaching to one or more of the gum slabs or wrappers around the
gum
slabs. If wrappers around the gum slabs are used, the adhesive used to adhere
the gum
slabs to the package will adhere the wrappers to the package. The adhesive
bond may be
strong enough to prevent or reduce the likelihood of the wrappers being
removable from
the package. Thus, the wrappers will remain in the package when the gum slabs
are
removed from the package and the wrappers. Alternatively, the adhesive bond
between
the wrappers and the package may be such that the wrapper and the gum slabs
can be
removed from the package, but strong enough to keep the gum slabs in the
wrappers from
falling out of the package or tipping over in the package. One potential
embodiment is
illustrated in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/570,015 entitled
"Gum Slab
Packaging Having Adhesive Flap" filed May 11, 2004, and designated as Docket
No.
is 1421-28P in the law firm of Hoffman & Baron, LLP, the contents of which are
incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.
As another alternative, the gum slabs may be adhered to each other, regardless
of
whether or not a sheet is used in the package. For example, drops or a strip
of adhesive
may be placed on the gum slabs or their wrappers such that the gum slabs or
their
wrappers are held together. The drops or strip of adhesive may be placed on
one or more
sides of the gum slabs, which may be placed in a side-by-side configuration in
the
package. The same or different adhesive also may be used to adhere the gum
slabs to the
housing and/or to a sheet.
If there is a sheet, it is possible to adhere the gum slabs to the sheet with
some type
of cold or hot adhesive and then an outer part of the sheet may be adhered to
the inner
surface or wall of the package. One or more adhesive strips, sports, or other
areas may be
used to adhere the sheet to one or more inner surfaces of the package.
Alternatively, the
sheet need not be adhered to the package and simply can be placed inside the
package. It
may also be desirable to not adhere the slabs to the sheet and then to adhere
the sheet to
the package. Alternatively, the sheet need not be adhered to the package.
One possibility would include adhering both the sheet and the gum slabs to the
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or more inner surfaces or walls of the package. For example, a sheet or pouch
could be
used that covers only a portion of the gum slabs when the gum slabs are placed
on or in
the sheet, so that the top portions of the slabs (or their wrappers) extend up
above the edge
of the sheet when the sheet and the gum slabs are placed inside the package. A
strip of
adhesive could be applied to the inner back wall of the gum compartment of the
package
in a position approximately even with or overlapping the upper edge of the
pouch. If the
adhesive strip was sufficiently large it could allow both the pouch and the
top portions of
the gum slabs to stick to the inner surface of the package. Alternatively, two
different
strips of adhesive could be used, one to adhere the slabs (or their wrappers)
to the
package, and one to adhere the sheet to one or more inner walls or surfaces of
the
package. These two strips of adhesive could be located on the same inner back
wall of
the package, or, for example, one could be on the inner back wall of the
package to adhere
the top portions of the gum slabs to the inner back wall of the package and
one on the
inner front wall of the package to adhere the sheet to the inner front wall of
the package.
One potential embodiment is illustrated in U.S. Provisional Patent Application
No.
60/570,004 entitled "Gum Slab Packaging with Adhesive Securement" filed May
11,
2004, and designated as Docket No. 1421-23P in the law firm of Hoffinan &
Baron, LLP,
the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.
It can be appreciated that there are several possible variations on this
general
theme. In addition, the adhesive need not be applied in strips but could be in
another
shape or arrangement. Hot wax is one example of a type of adhesive.
As a further example, adhesive may be used to adhere the gum slabs to a sheet
and/or to adhere the sheet to one or more inner surfaces or walls of the
package. Such a
configuration for a different package design is illustrated in U.S. Patent
Publication No.
2003/0080020 (U.S. Patent Application No. 10/003,336) entitled "Package Having
Releaseably Secured Consumable Products", which is herein incorporated by
reference for
all purposes.
Although the above-described packaging design has been described in
conjunction
with slab gum, it could also be adapted to work for stick gum, extruded gum,
pellet gum,
and candy-coated gum. In addition, each compartment could hold as few as one
large
piece of gum. Furthermore, the packaging design described herein could be used
to hold
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other types of individual pieces of consumable products (e.g., cookies,
chocolate bars,
taffy, toffee, fruit roll-ups, and so forth). Alternatively, it could be used
to sell, mail,
distribute, or hold non-edible products such as photos, coupons, tickets,
stamps, puzzle
pieces, game pieces, and so forth. The individual items in the package may all
be the
same or they may be different items that can be assembled together, or in the
case of
edible products they may be different types or flavors. The package could also
be used to
hold pharmaceuticals or nutraceuticals such as pills, vitamins, oral care
strips, and so forth
or items that may not be chewed or swallowed (e.g., chewing tobacco, pain
relieving
strips for gum diseases, and so forth).
As can be appreciated, there are many advantages to the package design. One
advantage relates to having a single row of gum slabs as compared to two or
more rows of
gum slabs adjacent to each other. In this case, it is easier to extract a
single piece at a
time, and the remaining pieces are less likely to fall out of the packages.
Furthermore, the
package has a more pleasing and presentable appearance that may be conducive
to sharing
1s the gum products with others. Further, the package securely closes and
completely
encloses the gum products. Not all of these advantages are necessarily found
in each of
the embodiments.
In addition to those set forth in the claims below, the following aspects of
the
packaging design are believed to be novel. A package with a compartment and an
asymmetric flap, wherein the compartment is an upper compartment and further
including
a lower compartment attached to the upper compartment, wherein the lower
compartment
can be pivoted relative to the upper compartment to place the lower
compartment in
facing relationship with the upper compartment and allow the cover flap to
fold over the
lower compartment.
Also, a package as defined in the previous paragraph, wherein the lower
compartment has a front wall and a back wall and the cover flap is releasably
engageable
with the back wall of the lower compartment.
Also, a package as defined in the previous paragraph, wherein the back wall of
the
lower compartment includes a receiving slot defined therein for selectably
receiving a
portion of the cover flap.
Also, a package as defined in the previous paragraph, wherein the receiving
slot is
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offset with respect to the axis.
Also, a package as defined four paragraphs earlier, wherein the lower
compartment is releasably attached to the upper compartment.
Also, a package for containing pieces of an edible product, comprising: an
upper
compartment and a lower compartment, each compartment being formed to receive
and
contain a plurality of individual pieces of an edible product; the upper
compartment being
at least partially enclosed on five sides thereof, including a back wall, a
front wall, a
bottom wall, and a pair of lateral side walls; the lower compartment being at
least
partially enclosed on five sides thereof, including a back wall, a front wall,
a bottom wall,
and a pair of lateral side walls, wherein the upper and lower compartment are
connected
to each other by a flap; and a cover flap extending from a back wall of the
upper
compartment and adapted for folding over at least a portion of the front wall
of the upper
compartment or the back wall of the lower comparlment when the compartments
are
pivoted relative to each other into a facing relationship, the cover flap
being asymmetrical
with respect to a central axis, the axis extending through the upper and lower
compartments and the cover flap when the cover flap is extended away from the
compartments.
The foregoing description of the packaging design has been presented for
purposes
of illustration and description. Furthermore, the description is not intended
to limit the
invention to the form disclosed herein. Consequently, variations and
modifications
commensurate with the above teachings, and skill and knowledge of the relevant
art, are
within the scope of the invention. The embodiments described hereinabove are
further
intended to explain best modes known of practicing the invention and to enable
others
skilled in the art to utilize the invention in such, or other embodiments and
with various
modifications required by the particular application(s) or use(s) of the
invention. It is
intended that the appended claims be construed to include alternative
embodiments to the
extent permitted by the prior art.
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