Product container

Abstract

The present invention relates to various embodiments of a product container for holding and displaying consumer products. In one aspect of the present invention, the present product container comprises a product containing compartment and a base member that encloses the product containing compartment. The product container forms a tent-like shaped enclosure and is formed when a first container portion and a second container portion come into positional alignment in a closed or assembled configuration. The first and second container portions are affixed on the inner surface of the base member. The base member is then folded along fold lines and upper ends of the base member are then bonded or otherwise securely attached to each other such that the upper ends of the respective first and second container portions are mated with each other to form the product containing compartment.

1 . A product container for holding and displaying a product within an internal compartment, the product container comprising:
 a base member having a substantially planar surface portion;   a first container portion having a first end portion, a second end portion and at least one side wall defining a product containing portion, the first end portion being attached to the planar surface portion of said base member and the second end portion defining a first opening for receiving at least a portion of a product therewithin; and   a second container portion having a first end portion, a second end portion and at least one side wall defining a product containing portion, the first end portion being attached to the planar surface portion of said base member in spaced apart relationship to said first container portion and the second end portion defining a second opening for receiving at least a portion of a product therewithin;   said base member having a pair of generally parallel fold lines positioned and located between the first and second container portions and defining a panel therebetween forming a substantially flat bottom portion of the product container, said base member being foldable along said fold lines such that the second end portions of said first and second container portions defining said first and second openings are moved into abutting relationship with each other to form a product containing compartment, the product containing compartment substantially enclosing a product when a product is placed within one of said first and second container portion openings prior to folding said base member.   
   
   
       2 . The product container of  claim 1  wherein the second container portion is a substantial mirror image of the first container portion. 
   
   
       3 . The product container of  claim 1  wherein the first and second container portions are provided with means for securing the product containing compartment. 
   
   
       4 . The product container of  claim 1  wherein said base member includes at least one cut-out portion positioned and located adjacent at least one of said first and second container portions for viewing a product contained in said product containing compartment. 
   
   
       5 . The product container of  claim 1  wherein said base member further includes at least one cut-out portion forming a handle when said product containing compartment is formed. 
   
   
       6 . The product container of  claim 1  wherein the second end portion defining the first and second openings of said first and second container portions slope at an acute angle relative to the planar surface of the base member. 
   
   
       7 . The product container of  claim 6  wherein at least a portion of the at least one side wall defining the first and second container portions is angularly oriented with respect to the base member prior to folding. 
   
   
       8 . The product container of  claim 7  wherein said at least one side wall defining the first and second container portions is substantially perpendicular to said base member prior to folding. 
   
   
       9 . The product container of  claim 1  wherein the first container portion includes at least one flange portion for attaching the first container portion to said base member. 
   
   
       10 . The product container of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said first and second container portions is formed of a material different from the material forming said base member. 
   
   
       11 . The product container of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said first and second container portions is formed of a transparent material and said base member is formed of a non-transparent material. 
   
   
       12 . The product container of  claim 1  wherein a portion of the at least one side wall defining the first container portion is positioned adjacent one of said pair of fold lines and wherein a portion of the at least one side wall defining the second container portion is positioned adjacent the other of said pair of fold lines. 
   
   
       13 . The product container of  claim 1  wherein said first and second container portions include a floor member adjacent the respective first end portions. 
   
   
       14 . The product container of  claim 1  wherein the base member forms a tent-like shape when folded about said fold lines and when the second end portions of said first and second container portions are moved into abutting relationship with each other. 
   
   
       15 . The product container of  claim 13  wherein the floor of at least one of said first and second container portions includes a cut-out portion positioned and located for viewing a product contained in said product containing compartment. 
   
   
       16 . The product container of  claim 4  wherein at least one of said first and second container portions includes a cut-out portion positioned and located so as to be in registration with the at least one cut-out portion positioned and located on said base member. 
   
   
       17 . A product container for holding and displaying a product within an internal compartment, the product container comprising:
 a base member having a substantially planar surface portion and a pair of spaced apart fold lines, said pair of fold lines defining a panel therebetween;   a first container portion having a first end portion, a second end portion and at least one side wall defining a product containing portion, the first end portion being attached to the planar surface of said base member adjacent one of said pair of fold lines member and the second end portion including a first opening defined by a free edge of the at least one side wall, said first opening being adapted to receive at least a portion of a product therewithin;   a second container portion having a first end portion, a second end portion and at least one side wall defining a product containing portion, the first end portion being attached to the planar surface of said base member adjacent the other of said pair of fold lines and the second end portion including a second opening defined by a free edge of the at least one side wall, said second opening being adapted to receive at least a portion of a product therewithin;   the free edges of the at least one side wall defining the first and second openings forming an acute angle relative to the planar surface of said base member when said first and second container portions are attached to said base member prior to folding, said base member being foldable along said fold lines such that said first and second container portions are mated with each other to form a product containing compartment, the product containing compartment substantially enclosing a product when placed within one of said first and second container portions prior to folding said base member, said base member forming a tent-like shape when folded about said fold lines, the panel defined between said fold lines forming a substantially flat bottom portion of the product container.   
   
   
       18 . The product container of  claim 17  wherein the second container portion is a substantial mirror image of the first container portion. 
   
   
       19 . The product container of  claim 17  wherein the second end portions of said first and second container portions include means for mating said first and second container portions in abutting relationship with each other. 
   
   
       20 . The product container of  claim 19  wherein said means includes at least one elongated projection associated with at least a portion of the side wall associated with each of said first and second container portions. 
   
   
       21 . The product container of  claim 17  wherein the second end portions of said first and second container portions each include a flange member associated with at least a portion of two sides of the at least one side wall associated with said first and second container portions and a ledge portion associated with at least a portion of one side of the at least one side wall associated with said first and second container portions. 
   
   
       22 . The product container of  claim 17  wherein said base member includes at least one cut-out portion positioned and located adjacent at least one of said first and second container portions for viewing the contents of said product containing compartment. 
   
   
       23 . The product container of  claim 17  wherein said base member further includes at least one cut-out portion forming a handle when said base member is folded about said fold lines. 
   
   
       24 . The product container of  claim 17  wherein the first and second container portions include at least one flange portion whereby the first and second container portions are attached to said base member. 
   
   
       25 . The product container of  claim 17  wherein at least one of the first and second container portions is formed of a transparent material and said base member is formed of a non-transparent material. 
   
   
       26 . The product container of  claim 17  wherein at least one of said first and second container portions includes a cut-out portion. 
   
   
       27 . A product container for holding and displaying a product comprising:
 a base member having a substantially planar surface portion including a pair of spaced apart fold lines, a pair of spaced apart first cut-out portions, and a pair of spaced apart second cut-out portions, said pair of fold lines defining a panel therebetween;   a first container portion having a first end portion, a second end portion and a plurality of side walls defining a product containing portion, said first end portion being positioned over one of said first cut-out portions and being attached to the planar surface of said base member adjacent one of said pair of fold lines and said second end portion defining a first opening for receiving at least a portion of a product positioned therewithin, said second end portion being angularly oriented and forming an acute angle relative to the planar surface of said base member when said first container portion is attached to said base member; and   a second container portion having a first end portion, a second end portion and a plurality of side walls defining a product containing portion, said first end portion being positioned over the other of said first cut-out portions and being attached to the planar surface of said base member adjacent the other of said pair of fold lines and the second end portion defining a second opening for receiving at least a portion of a product positioned therewithin, said second end portion being angularly oriented and forming an acute angle relative to the planar surface of said base member when said second container portion is attached to said base member;   said base member being foldable along said pair of fold lines such that said first and second container portions mate with each other to form a product containing compartment, said base member forming a tent-like shape when folded about said fold lines such that the pair of second cut-out portions are mated with each other to form a handle for said product container, and wherein said panel extending between said pair of spaced apart fold lines forms a substantially flat bottom portion of the product container.   
   
   
       28 . The product container of  claim 27  wherein at least some of said plurality of side walls associated with said first and second container portions are angularly oriented with respect to said base member when said first and second container portions are attached thereto. 
   
   
       29 . The product container of  claim 28  wherein said plurality of side walls associated with said first and second container portions are substantially perpendicular to said base member when said first and second container portions are attached thereto. 
   
   
       30 . The product container of  claim 27  wherein the first and second container portions each include a flange member for attaching said container portions to the base member. 
   
   
       31 . The product container of  claim 27  wherein said first and second container portions are formed of a transparent material, and wherein said base member is formed of a non-transparent material. 
   
   
       32 . The product container of  claim 27  wherein said first and second container portions are formed of an environmentally friendly transparent material, and wherein said base member is formed of an environmentally friendly non-transparent material. 
   
   
       33 . The product container of  claim 27  wherein said base member is made from card stock. 
   
   
       34 . The product container of  claim 27  wherein at least one of said first and second container portions includes a cut-out portion positioned and located so as to lie in registration with at least one of said pair of first cut-out portions.