Display packages packaging system

Abstract

 A packaging apparatus comprises a plurality of packaging units 24, each unit being adapted to hold an article to be displayed and having at least one display slot or opening 22 by means of which the packaging unit can be hung from a display hook 25. The packaging apparatus also comprises a loading means in the form of a length of material 12 which can be passed through display slots 22 in the packaging of the plurality of packaged articles 24 and formed into a loop. The arrangement is such that the plurality of packaged articles can be lifted by the loading means, bringing the display slots generally into alignment for location on a display hook 25. The packaging apparatus can be used to hang a number of packaged articles on a display hook at the same time rather than one by one. Preferably the display slots or openings 22 are elongate and the loading means is in the form of a strip of material having fastening means 14, 16, 18, 20 for securing the ends of the strip togther. The fastening means may comprise a pair of slots 14 at one and of the strip and a tab 16 having a corresponding pair of flaps 18, 20 at the other end, the flaps being inserted into the slots to hold the strip in a loop. A method of hanging a plurality of packaged articles on to a display hook using the packaging apparatus is also described.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to the packaging of articles for display and/or merchandising purposes. The invention is particularly, though not exclusively, applicable to the packaging of shower handsets and accessories.

[0002] It is known to package articles in packaging which can be mounted to a display device, such as a hook, so that the packaged articles can be viewed by potential customers. In particular, it is known to package articles in packaging that can be hung on so called "Euro-hooks". Such merchandising devices are used extensively in self-service shopping outlets such as do-it-yourself stores, where a number of articles are hung hooks so that the customer can select an appropriate article and remove it for purchase.

[0003] Typically, each article is packaged in a respective packaging unit having a slot through which the Euro-hook is inserted. Usually, a number of articles in their packaging units will be supplied to a retailer in a box or other container. When the retailer wishes to display the articles, the retailer removes the articles from the container and hangs them on an appropriate display hook. Because each packaged article must be individually removed from the container and hung on a hook, this process is very time and labour intensive, adding significantly to the costs of the retailer.

[0004] It is known from US 5,687,455 (Alexander) and US 4,240,183 (Sumimoto et al), to secure a number of packaged articles together or to attach a price tag to one or more articles using fasteners having a length of material which can be formed into a loop. However, these fasteners do not address or solve the problem of mounting a packaged article to a display hook.

[0005] There is a need, therefore, to provide a packaging apparatus and method which reduces the time and effort required to hang a plurality of packaging units on a hook.

[0006] Thus, in accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a packaging comprising a plurality of packaging units, each unit being adapted to hold an article to be displayed and having at least one display slot or opening by means of which the packaging unit can be hung from a display hook, characterised in that the packaging further comprises a loading means in the form of a length of material which passes through the display slots or openings of the plurality of packaging units and is formed into a loop, the arrangement being such that, in use, the plurality of packaged articles can be lifted by the loading means bringing the display slots or openings generally into alignment for location on a display hook

[0007] Preferably, the loading means is made of a plastics material, and in particular a polypropylene material.

[0008] Preferably, the loading means comprises fastening means for holding the material in a looped configuration. More preferably, the fastening means is releasable.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the display slots or openings are elongate and the loading means comprises a strip of material. Preferably, the strip has a width equal to or greater than half the width of the display slots or openings. Advantageously, the strip has a width substantially equal to, or just slightly less than, the width of the display slots or openings. The strip may have a substantially rectangular cross-section, in which case, the strip may have a width which is at least ten times greater than its thickness and preferably, at least twenty times greater than its thickness.

[0010] Preferably, the fastening means comprises at least one slot provided at or towards a first end of the strip and at least one ear or flap provided at or towards the other end of the strip, the at least one ear or flap being insertable into the at least one slot to hold the strip in a looped configuration.

[0011] In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of packaging and displaying a plurality of articles, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of packaging units, each unit being adapted to hold at least one article and having at least one display slot or opening by means of which the unit can be hung from a display hook;

   characterised in that the method further comprises:

providing a loading means in the form of a length of material and means for securing the material in a loop;

passing the material through the display slots or openings of the plurality of packaging units and forming the material into a loop.

[0012] Preferably, the method further comprises:

lifting the plurality of packaging units using the loading means such that the display slots or openings are brought generally into alignment;

inserting a display hook through the generally aligned display slots or openings in the packaging units; and

separating the loading means from the packaging units.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the method, the loading means comprises a strip of material having fastening means for securing the strip in a looped configuration.

[0014] The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a loading strip forming part of a packaging apparatus in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the loading strip of Figure 1 inserted through the display slots of a number of packaging units and formed into a loop; and,

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the packaging units of Figure 2 hung on a display hook and the loading stip being removed.

[0015] A packaging apparatus, indicated generally at 10, comprises a strip 12 of relatively thin and flexible material which can be formed into a loop. To hold the strip in the looped configuration, a pair of slots 14 is provided at one end and a tab 16 at the other end. The tab 16 has two ears 18, 20 and the arrangement is such that ears 18, 20 are inserted into respective ones of the slots 14 to releasably hold the strip in the looped configuration. In a preferred embodiment, the strip is made of a plastics material such as a polypropylene. However, the strip can be made of any suitable material such as cardboard.

[0016] In use, the strip 12 is inserted through the elongate display slots 22 of plurality of packaging units 24, each of which is adapted to hold an article to be displayed, and is formed into a loop as shown in Figure 2. Once formed into a loop, the ears 18, 20 are inserted through their respective slots 14 so that the strip remains in its looped configuration.

[0017] Whilst use of a tab 16 and slots 14 is currently considered to be the most practicable arrangement for releasably securing the ends of the strip together to hold it in a loop, other releasable fastening arrangements can also be used. For example, rather than having a tab 16, one end of the strip can be shaped into the form of an arrowhead and a slot can be proved at the other end of the strip. The arrangement being such that the arrowhead is inserted into the slot to hold the strip in a looped configuration. Other means that could be used for releasably securing the ends of the strip include: hook and eye fastener, peelable adhesive, or any other suitable means.

[0018] Having formed the strip into a loop as described above, the plurality of packaging units 24 can be quickly and easily hung on a display hook 25 by simply holding the looped strip and lifting the packaging units towards the display hook. As the strip is lifted, the packaging units 24 will tend to slide towards the lowest part of the loop such that the display slots 22 are generally aligned, enabling a display hook to be inserted through the display slots of all the packaging units 24, more or less at the same time.

[0019] Once the packaging units 24 have been hung on the hook 25, the loading strip 12 can be removed by pushing the ears 18, 20 out of their slots and removing the strip of material 12 from the display slots in the packaging units as shown in Figure 3. The loading strip 12 can be subsequently re-used or may be discarded altogether.

[0020] In the method as described above, the loading strip 12 is released from its looped condition and removed from the slots 22 of the packaging units only once all the packaging units on the loading strip have been hung on the hook. It should be understood, however, that the precise way in which the packaging units are loaded on a hook using the loading strip is not an essential feature of the invention. For example, in certain circumstances it may be preferable to release the strip from its looped condition when only some of the packaging units 24 have been hung on the hook. The remaining packaging units then being slid off the end of the strip 12 and on to the hook. Indeed, in some circumstances it may even be preferable to release the strip from its looped condition before any of the packaging units have actually been hung on the hook.

[0021] It is envisaged that the strip 12 will be secured to the plurality of packaging units as part of the packaging process of the supplier. Thus the supplier will package the articles in their packaging units and will then attach a loading strip 12 to a plurality of packaging units 24. The packaging units together with the loading strip can be shipped to the retailer in a container which may hold several sets of packaging units 24, each set being linked by a respective loading strip 12.

[0022] In order to display the articles, the retailer simply has to open the container and lift each set of packaging units 24 out by means of its loading strip 12 and hang them on a display hook as described above. This considerably reduces the time taken to display the articles as a number of the packaged articles can be hung on a hook in one go rather than having to be hung individually.

[0023] To ensure that display slots are generally aligned, it is preferred if the width of the strip 12 is selected so as to be at least half the width of the display slots and preferably is substantially the same as, or only slightly smaller than, the width of the display slots. The length of the strip can be selected depending on the number of packaging units to be loaded but the strip should be long enough to ensure that the loop can be grasped in order to lift the packaging units and load them on a display hook. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the strip has a width of approximately 32mm, a length of approximately 250mm and a thickness of approximately 1mm.

[0024] It is preferred that the loading strip 12 has fastening means, such as the slots 14 and tab 16, for releasably securing the ends togther to form a loop. This has the advantage that the strip 12 can be easily removed by simply undoing the releasable fastening means and also means that the strip 12 can be re-used if required. However, in an alternative arrangement, the ends of the strip could be permanently glued or welded together to hold it in a loop. With this arrangement, it will be necessary to cut the strip in order to remove it after the packaging units have been hung on a display hook.

[0025] In the embodiment described above in relation to Figures 2 and 3, each packaging unit is adapted to package and display a shower handset 26. However, this need not be the case and the invention can be applied to packaging for any suitable articles. Furthermore, whilst Figures 2 and 3 show three packaging units 24 on the loading strip 12, it should be understood that the loading strip 12 can be adapted to hold any number of packaging units from two upwards, depending on the length of the strip and the size of the packaged articles.

[0026] It should be noted that, throughout this specification, where reference is made to a packaging unit being adapted to hold an "article", the term "article" is intended to cover not only individual articles but also groups of articles which are to be packaged within the same packaging unit as a single item for display and /or merchandising purposes.

Claims

1. Packaging comprising a plurality of packaging units (24), each unit being adapted to hold an article (26) to be displayed and having at least one display slot or opening (22) by means of which the packaging unit can be hung from a display hook (25), characterised in that the packaging further comprises a loading means (12) in the form of a length of material which passes through the display slots or openings of the plurality of packaging units and is formed into a loop, the arrangement being such that, in use, the plurality of packaged articles can be lifted by the loading means bringing the display slots or openings generally into alignment for location on a display hook

2. Packaging as claimed in claim 1, in which the loading means (12) is made of a plastics material, preferably a polypropylene material.

3. Packaging as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the loading means (12) comprises fastening means (14, 16, 18, 20) for holding the material in a looped configuration.

4. Packaging as claimed in any previous claim, in which the fastening means (14,16,18, 20) is releasable.

5. Packaging as claimed in any previous claim, in which the display slots or openings (22) are elongate and the loading means comprises a strip of material (12).

6. Packaging as claimed in claim 5, in which the strip (12) has a width equal to or greater than half the width of the display slots or openings (22).

7. Packaging as claimed in claim 6, in which the strip (12) has a width substantially equal to, or just slightly less than, the width of the display slots or openings (22).

8. Packaging as claimed in anyone of claims 5 to 7, in which the strip (12) has a substantially rectangular cross-section.

9. Packaging as claimed in claim 8, in which the strip (12) has width which is at least ten times greater than its thickness.

10. Packaging as claimed in claim 8, in which the strip (12) has width which is at least twenty times greater than its thickness.

11. Packaging as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 10, in which the fastening means comprises at least one slot (14) provided at or towards a first end of the strip and at least one ear or flap (18, 20) provided at or towards the other end of the strip, the at least one ear or flap being insertable into the at least one slot to hold the strip in a looped configuration.

12. A method of packaging and displaying a plurality of articles (26), the method comprising:

providing a plurality of packaging units (24), each unit being adapted to hold at least one article (26) and having at least one display slot or opening (22) by means of which the unit can be hung from a display hook (25);

characterised in that the method further comprises:

providing a loading means (12) in the form of a length of material (12) and means (14, 16, 18. 20) for securing the material in a loop;

passing the material through the display slots or openings of the plurality of packaging units and forming the material into a loop.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

lifting the plurality of packaging units (24) by the loading means (12) such that the display slots or openings are brought generally into alignment;

inserting a display hook (25) through the generally aligned display slots or openings (22) in the packaging units; and

separating the loading means (12) from the packaging units.

14. A method as claimed in claim 12 or claim 13, in which the loading means comprises a strip of material (12) having fastening means (14, 16, 18, 20) for securing the strip in a looped configuration.

Drawing