Product packaging end cap

• US 7,866,536 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Calendrille, John Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Newhouse; Nathan J
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEMEREE, CHRISTOPHER R
• Application Number:
  US11/828,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20080023360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 229/403, 229/404, 229/405, 229/125.36, 229/125.17, 229/93, 206/407, 206/416, 206/410, 206/413, 206/414, 206/415, 220/600, 215/298, 215/363, 215/227
• US Class Current: 229/5.5
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 15/20 with end walls made of paper
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 3/12 Flanged discs permanently secured, e.g. by adhesives or by heat-sealing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

The present invention relates to a packaging concept includes a tubular wall member and end caps. The packaging is constructed from a sheet of flexible material wrapped into a continuous wall and fastened at the ends of the sheet material leaving open tube ends. The open ends of the tube are then closed by an end cap. The end caps are each formed from a continuous blank of sheet material. The blank includes at least three aligned cap layers. The first and second cap layers are adjacent to each other and connected by a tab connector. Each of the first and second cap layers also includes a plurality of bendable support tabs and each of the first and second cap layers includes a plurality of spaces between adjacent respective bendable support tabs. The first cap layer is folded relative to the second cap layer such that the support tabs of the first cap layer enter the spaces of the second cap layer and the support tabs of the second cap layer enter the spaces of the first cap layer. The first and second cap layers are smaller than the open tube ends and the third and fourth cap layers are larger than the open tube ends. Therefore, the first and second cap layers enter the open tube ends and the third and fourth cap layers abut the open tube ends to provide cap that can be secured to the tubular wall member by an adhesive product.

Claims

1. A product package including an end cap, the product package having a wall member including a terminal end and a terminal end opening, the end cap comprising:

a continuous blank including;

a first cap layer including at least one first support tab;

a second cap layer foldably connected to the first cap layer via a first connector, the second cap layer comprising at least one second support tab offset from the first support tab; and

a third cap layer foldably connected to the second cap layer via a second connector;

wherein the first and second cap layers are sized smaller than the third cap layer and smaller than the terminal end opening, the third cap layer being larger than the terminal end opening, and the blank being foldable such that the first cap layer folds relative to the second cap layer and connects to the second cap layer via the first and second support tabs and the first connector.

2. The product package of claim 1, wherein the first cap layer further includes at least one recess configured to receive the at least one second support tab.

3. The product package of claim 2, wherein the second cap layer further includes at least one recess configured to receive the at least one first support tab.

4. The product package of claim 3 further comprising a product housed within the product package.

5. The product package of claim 1, wherein the first and second cap layers of the continuous blank are configured to be inserted into the terminal end opening and the third cap layer is configured to abut the product package terminal end.

6. The product package of claim 1, further including a fourth cap layer foldably connected to the third cap layer via a third connector, wherein the fourth cap layer is larger than the terminal end opening of the product package.

7. The product package of claim 6 further comprising a product housed within the product package.

8. The product package of claim 1, wherein the end cap comprises a cardboard material.

9. The product package of claim 8 wherein at least a portion of the wall member comprises a transparent material.

10. The product package of claim 9 wherein the portion of the wall member comprises a flexible material.

11. The product package of claim 10 wherein the portion of the wall member comprises a plastic material.

12. The product package of claim 1, wherein the first cap layer includes a plurality of first support tabs and the second cap layer includes a plurality of second support tabs offset from the first support tabs.

13. The package of claim 12, wherein the first cap layer further includes a plurality of recesses operable to receive the plurality of second support tabs and the second cap layer includes a plurality of recesses operable to receive the plurality of first support tabs.

14. The product package claim 1, wherein the end cap is circular and the product package is cylindrical.

15. The product package of claim 14 wherein at least a portion of the wall member comprises a transparent plastic material.

16. The product package claim 1, wherein the end cap is rectangular and the product package is rectangular.

17. A product package comprising:

a tubular wall member including a terminal end and a terminal end opening;

an end cap comprising;

a continuous blank including;

a first cap layer including at least one first support tab;

a second cap layer foldably connected to the first cap layer via a first connector, the second cap layer comprising at least one second support tab offset from the first support tab; and

a third cap layer foldably connected to the second cap layer via a second tab connector;

wherein the first and second cap layers are sized smaller than the third cap layer and smaller than the terminal end opening, the third cap layer being larger than the terminal end opening, and wherein the continuous blank is foldable such that the first cap layer folds relative to the second cap layer and connects to the second cap layer via the first and second support tabs and the first tab connector.

18. The product package of claim 17 further comprising a product housed within the product package.