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Package with primary and ancillary item compartments

Package with primary and ancillary item compartments description/claims

The present invention relates to packages, and more specifically to a package including a compartment for holding a number of ancillary items therein that are to be utilized with the primary item disposed within the package.

Packages for various items come in numerous shapes and configurations in order to adequately hold the different items therein. These packages most often generally conform to the particular shape of the item held therein in order to minimize the amount of material required to form the package. However, with regard to certain items that can be held in packages of this type, the utilization of these primary items requires additional components or ancillary items to be inserted within or otherwise engaged with the primary items for proper operation of the primary item.

In these situations, oftentimes a manufacturer of the primary item will develop packaging for the primary item that enables ancillary items required for proper operation of the primary item to be included within the packaging. Most often, the packaging will include one enclosure for the primary item and a separate enclosure for the ancillary items in order to clearly illustrate to a consumer that both the primary item and the ancillary item or items are present within the package.

Additionally, other packaging designs have been developed for holding both primary items and ancillary items therein that include an entirely separate package to hold the ancillary items therein. The separate ancillary item package is simply placed against or attached to the exterior of the package for the primary item, such as by being adhered to the exterior of the primary item package by an adhesive, or by a shrink wrap disposed about both the primary item package and the ancillary items package, for example.

However, in constructing packages in this manner, a significant additional amount of packaging material is required to form the additional or separate package within which the ancillary items are to be disposed. Further, if the primary item and the ancillary items are held in separate packages or enclosures within the packaging, when the packaging is initially opened, the compartments or separate packages for the primary and ancillary items can easily become disassociated from one another, resulting in the ancillary items being misplaced and unable for proper use in conjunction with the primary item.

As a result, it is desirable to develop a packaging for holding a primary item and ancillary items to be utilized with the primary item therein in a manner which does not require significant additional amounts of packaging material. Further, the packaging should be capable of holding and retaining the primary item and the ancillary items reduce the chances that they will become disassociated from one another both prior to and after the initial removal of the items from the packaging.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a package is provided for containing a primary item and one or more ancillary items therein in which the package includes an inner container designed to hold both the primary item and the ancillary items therein that is contained within an outer container. The outer container forms an enclosure around the inner container holding the primary item and the ancillary items, and can be secured in a closed position in any suitable manner to prevent access to the inner package and the items. The inner container is removably positioned within the outer container in a manner that allows the inner container, including the primary item and the ancillary items, to be easily withdrawn from the outer container. The inner container further includes a first compartment designed to hold the primary item therein, and a second compartment adapted to receive the ancillary items therein. In this construction for the inner container, when the outer container is opened and the inner container is removed therefrom, both the primary item and the ancillary items are maintained in an associated relationship with one another within the inner container. In addition, the ability to hold both the primary item and the ancillary items within the inner container enable the inner container to be utilized as the primary packaging vehicle during assembly of the items into the overall packaging. This eliminates the need for any supplemental or temporary packaging structure other than the inner container to hold the primary item and ancillary items or package during the assembly of the packaging.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the ancillary items are positioned within a separate ancillary item container that is received within the second compartment of the inner container. In this construction, the ancillary item container enables one or more ancillary items to be held therein, but also enables the ancillary item container to be engaged in the desired manner within the inner container along with the primary item.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, one or more of the outer container, inner container, and ancillary item container, or any portion of one or more of these containers, can be formed of a generally transparent material in order to provide a consumer with a relatively unobstructed view of both the primary item and the ancillary items held within the package. The transparency of the containers also enables a consumer to view the primary and ancillary items held within the containers in an upright position, to properly inspect the items through the various containers, such as for damage to the items or to determine the proper orientation for the items.

Numerous additional aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description taken together with the drawing figures.

The drawing figures illustrate the best mode currently contemplated of practicing the present invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a package of the present invention including a primary item therein;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the package of FIG. 1 with the primary item removed;

FIG. 3 is an exploded, isomeric view of the package and primary item of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an exploded, isometric view of an inner container and ancillary item container of the package of FIG. 1;

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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