Package assembly for supporting a pair of consumable product packets

Abstract

A package assembly provides a pair of openable product packets which support consumable products. The product packets are accommodated in a housing. The housing is formed from an elongate planar housing structure having a central wall and a pair of oppositely directed foldable flaps extending from opposite edges of the central wall. A transition line extends longitudinally thereacross. The packets are supported on the central wall on opposite sides of the fold line. The transition line may include a fold line, a severing line or a combination thereof.

1 . A package assembly comprising:
 at least a pair of openable product packets for supporting consumable products;   a housing for accommodating said product packets, said housing being formed of an elongate planar housing structure having a central wall, a pair of oppositely directed foldable flaps extending from opposite edges of said central wall and a transition line extending longitudinally thereacross, said packets being supported on said central wall such that at least one of said product packets is on an opposite side of said transition line from another of said product packets, said foldable flaps being foldable from a flat open configuration to a folded closed configuration enclosing said packets; and   said transition line being selected from the group consisting of a fold line for permitting folding of said housing structure thereat and a severing line for permitting severing of said housing structure thereat and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         2 . A package assembly of  claim 1  wherein one of said foldable flaps includes a distally extending tab and the other of said foldable flap includes a slot for accommodating said tab in said closed configuration. 
     
     
         3 . A package assembly of  claim 1  wherein said foldable flap includes an indicia bearing surface. 
     
     
         4 . A package assembly of  claim 1  wherein said housing structure is severable at said severing line to provide at least a pair of housing subassemblies, each subassembly containing one packet of said pair. 
     
     
         5 . A package assembly of  claim 4  wherein said severing line includes a perforation line. 
     
     
         6 . A method of forming a package assembly for consumable products comprising the steps of:
 providing an elongate planar housing structure having a central wall and a pair of oppositely directed foldable flaps extending from opposite edges of said central wall;   forming a fold line longitudinally across said planar housing structure;   attaching a pair of openable product packet, containing said product, to said central wall on opposite sides of said fold like; and   folding said foldable flap to enclosed said product packets.   
     
     
         7 . A method of  claim 6  wherein said fold line is a severing line for severing said planar housing thereat. 
     
     
         8 . A method of  claim 7  wherein said severing line is a perforation line. 
     
     
         9 . A method of  claim 6  wherein said attaching step further includes adhesively securing packet to said central wall. 
     
     
         10 . A method of  claim 6  wherein said product packet includes an openable packet flap adjacent one edge of each said packet. 
     
     
         11 . A method of  claim 10  wherein product packets are attached to said central wall with said openable packet flap being in facing relationship adjacent said fold line. 
     
     
         12 . A package assembly comprising:
 a pair of openable product packets for supporting consumable products;   a housing for accommodating said product packets, said housing being formed of an elongate planar housing structure having a central wall, a pair of oppositely directed foldable flaps extending from opposite edges of said central wall and fold line extending longitudinally thereacross, said packets being supported on said central wall on opposite sides of said fold line, said foldable flaps being foldable from a flat open configuration to a folded closed configuration enclosing said packets; and   said housing structure being further foldable in said flat open condition along said fold line to place said packets in generally a side-by-side orientation on said housing structure.   
     
     
         13 . A package assembly of  claim 12  wherein one of said foldable flaps includes a distally extending tab and the other of said foldable flap includes a slot for accommodating said tab in said closed configuration. 
     
     
         14 . A package assembly of  claim 12  wherein said foldable flap includes an indicia bearing surface. 
     
     
         15 . A package assembly of  claim 12  wherein said housing structure is severable at said severing line to provide at least a pair of housing subassemblies, each subassembly containing one packet of said pair. 
     
     
         16 . A package assembly of  claim 15  wherein said fold line includes a perforation line. 
     
     
         17 . A package assembly of  claim 15  wherein each housing subassembly includes a subassembly back wall supporting one packet of said pair and a pair of subassembly foldable flaps for enclosing said packet. 
     
     
         18 . A package assembly of  claim 12  wherein said product packets are adhesively supported to said central wall. 
     
     
         19 . A package assembly of  claim 12  wherein each of said packets includes a packet flap to permit opening of said packet. 
     
     
         20 . A package assembly of  claim 19  wherein said packet flap includes an extending tab to facilitate lifting of said packet flap. 
     
     
         21 . A package assembly of  claim 21  wherein said tab of said packet flap is removably attached to said packet.