Packaged oral care implement and method of opening the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9764886-B2
Application number	US-201315035999-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2013
Priority date	Nov 12, 2013
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A packaged oral care implement ( 1000 ) and method of opening the same. In one embodiment, the package ( 2000 ) has a first panel ( 100 ) that includes a pre-weakened line ( 103 ) including at least two portions ( 103 A, 103 B) of differing non-zero shear strengths so that an easy as open location ( 106 ) is provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A packaged oral care implement comprising:
a first panel and a second panel, a cavity formed between the first and second panels;
the first panel comprising at least one pre-weakened line that defines a tear-away portion and a base portion, the base portion coupled to the second panel;
an oral care implement positioned within the cavity; and
the pre-weakened line comprising a first portion having a first pre-weakening pattern having a first non-zero shear strength and a second portion having a second pre-weakening pattern having a second non-zero shear strength that is greater than the first non-zero shear strength,
wherein the base portion comprises a tab that protrudes into the tear-away portion, and
wherein the oral care implement is positioned within the cavity so that a portion of the oral care implement lies beneath a first portion of the tear-away portion adjacent the tab, the tab located above an unoccupied portion of the cavity.

2. The packaged oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein an edge of the tab is defined by the first portion of the pre-weakened line.

3. The packaged oral care implement according to claim 2 wherein the cavity extends along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the tab deflects about a flexure axis that extends substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

4. The packaged oral care implement according to claim 2 wherein the cavity extends along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the tab deflects about a flexure axis that extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

5. The packaged oral care implement according to claim 2 wherein the cavity extends along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the tab deflects along a flexure axis that extends oblique to the longitudinal axis.

6. The packaged oral care implement according to claim 5 wherein the edge of the tab comprises first and second inside corners at a base of the tab and only one outside corner along a distal portion of the edge.

7. The packaged oral care implement according to claim 2 wherein the edge of the tab comprises first and second inside corners at a base of the tab and at least two outside corners along a distal portion of the edge.

8. The packaged oral care implement according to claim 2 , wherein the edge of the tab comprises a distal portion, the distal portion of the edge travelling along a path when the tab is moved from the closed state to the open state, wherein the path does not intersect the oral care implement.

9. The packaged oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the first portion of the pre-weakened line is disposed between two sections of the second portion of the pre-weakened line.

10. The packaged oral care implement according to claim 1 , wherein the first panel is substantially planar.

11. The packaged oral care implement according to claim 10 wherein no portion of the oral care implement is located beneath the tab, as measured in a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane in which the first panel is located.

12. The packaged oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the first panel is formed of a transparent PVC and the second panel is formed of an opaque PVC.

13. The packaged oral care implement according to claim 1 further comprising a retaining element that maintains the oral care implement in a substantially fixed position in the cavity.

14. The packaged oral care implement according to claim 13 further comprising a third panel, the third panel comprising the retaining element and positioned between the first and second panels so form a floor of the cavity.

15. The packaged oral care implement according to claim 14 wherein the third panel is formed of PETG.

16. The packaged oral care implement according to claim 1 the base portion forms a perimeter portion of the first panel that surrounds the tear-away portion.

17. The packaged oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the pre-weakened line is generally U-shaped.

18. The packaged oral care implement according to claim 1 wherein the first panel comprises a visual indicator adjacent the first portion of the pre-weakened line.

19. The packaged oral care implement according to claim 18 wherein the visual indicator comprises a tab.

20. A method of opening a packaged oral care implement comprising:
providing an oral care implement disposed within a cavity of a package, the package comprising a first panel, a second panel, a cavity formed between the first and second panels, the first panel comprising at least one pre-weakened line that defines a tear-away portion and a base portion, the pre-weakened line comprising a first portion having a first pre-weakening pattern having a first non-zero shear strength and a second portion having a second pre-weakening pattern having a second non-zero shear strength that is greater than the first non-zero shear strength;
applying a downward force at a location on the base portion adjacent the first portion of the pre-weakened line to shear the first portion of the pre-weakened line and deflect a portion of the base portion below the tear-away portion to create an opening in the first panel; and
grasping the tear-away portion via the opening and at least partially separating the tear-away portion from the base portion to provide access to the oral care implement,
wherein the base portion comprises a tab that protrudes into the tear-away portion, and
wherein the oral care implement is positioned within the cavity so that a portion of the oral care implement lies beneath a first portion of the tear-away portion adjacent the tab, the tab located above an unoccupied portion of the cavity.

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Bow Clark
• Sorrentino Alan V

Classifications

• A46B15/00

  Other brushes; Brushes with additional arrangements · CPC title

• B65D2575/367

  through a preformed opening in the flat sheet, e.g. the opening being defined by weakened lines · CPC title

• B65D2575/3236

  for initiating or facilitating subsequent peeling off of the non-rigid sheet · CPC title

• B65D2575/3227

  Cuts or weakening lines · CPC title

• B65D75/328

  the compartments being interconnected, e.g. by small channels · CPC title