Package with integral plug

Abstract

A package is disclosed having integral means to seal an opening in a packaged product, such as a capless writing instrument, in order to protect material within the packaged product, such as ink, from excessive exposure to air while stored in the package. The package may be of any type used to contain articles of merchandise, including, without limitation, a blister package, a clamshell package, a closed tube, or a box. A plug portion attached to or molded into the interior of the package is sized and positioned so that it fits sealingly in an opening of a product contained within said package in order to prevent or minimize passage of air through said opening. Also disclosed is a package insert for holding an article of merchandise securely within a package while sealing an opening in the merchandise.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] There are no applications related to this invention anywhere in the world. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention generally relates to product packaging. The invention provides a package having an integral plug attached to the interior of the package for sealing an opening in a product in order to prevent material within the packaged product from being exposed to air in the package. [0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art [0005] Various types of packages are used for packaging small articles of merchandise and displaying them in retail environments. A non-exhaustive list includes blister packages; cardboard, paper board, and plastic boxes and tubes; and plastic “clamshells.” Many variations of these basic package types have been developed to address particular packaging needs. [0006] One type of article that may be contained in a package is a capless writing instrument having a retractable nib. Because suc...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a package having integral means to seal an opening in a packaged product, such as a capless writing instrument, in order to protect material within the packaged product, such as ink, from excessive exposure to air while stored in the package. Another object of the present invention is to provide a package containing an integral plug positioned to seal an opening in a capless writing instrument while the package remains unopened. Yet another object of the present invention is to improve the shelf life of a capless writing instrument by providing an integral plug in a package. A further object is to provide a package having means to assist the user to remove the marking instrument in a direction so that the plug seal pulls away from the marking instrument upon removal.

[0009] What is disclosed is a package for containing an article of merchandise, said package having a plug portion projecting into the interior of the package so that it fits firmly in an opening of the article of merchandise contained within the package. Depending on the shape of the opening to be sealed, the plug portion may be formed in the shape of a cone, a dome, a closed cylinder, or another appropriate shape. It may be formed by a structure molded into the packaging material if the package is manufactured of plastic or similar moldable material, or it may be manufactured separately of an elastomeric material or other appropriate material and permanently attached to the package interior. Alternatively, the plug portion may be molded into or attached to a package insert molded to substantially conform to the shape of the merchandise in order to hold the merchandise securely within the outer package. If the package is manufactured of moldable material, the package itself may be molded to conform to the shape of the merchandise to be contained therein. Optionally, the package may have perforations or other means to facilitate easy removal of the merchandise in a direction such that the merchandise is pulled away from the plug portion, leaving the plug portion attached to the package or package insert.

Problems solved by technology

While exposure of the ink to air may not cause any problems over the normal period of use of the writing instrument, such exposure over long periods of storage in the package may result in significant drying or evaporation of the ink, adversely affecting performance of the writing instrument.

Many conventional packages are not impermeable to air, and even if a package is impermeable to air, enough air might be trapped in the package with the writing instrument to cause drying or evaporation of the ink, absent some means of sealing the opening in the writing instrument through which the nib projects and retracts in order to prevent exposure to the air.

No previously known package provides such sealing means.

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