Dispensing package

Abstract

A package for containing a variety of products and for dispensing these contained products into a receptacle that can be deployed from the package, such as a bag or box for containing and dispensing consumer goods such as food items, e.g., chips or other snacks, or for containing and dispensing other consumer goods, such as granulated sugar, flour, or powdered laundry detergents. The packages are useful for dispensing the desired quantity of the contained product into the deployable receptacle without the need to reach into the package and potentially contaminate the contents of the package or one's hands.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A package for containing and dispensing a product, comprising:
 a container for containing the product prior to dispensing of the product; and   a receptacle deployable from said container from a stowed configuration to a deployed configuration, said receptacle having a bottom panel, a front panel, and at least two side panels;   wherein, in the stowed configuration, each of the front panel and the at least two side panels is at least partially collapsed;   wherein, in the deployed configuration, each of the front panel and at least two side panels is folded up from the bottom panel providing sidewalls for containing the product in said receptacle.   
     
     
         2 . The package according to  claim 1 , wherein the receptacle comprises one or more inside surfaces and one or more outside surfaces. 
     
     
         3 . The package according to  claim 2 , wherein the receptacle has a substantially rectangular shape in the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The package according to  claim 2 , wherein the receptacle has a substantially funnel shape in the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The package according to  claim 1 , wherein the bottom panel includes a top surface and a bottom surface, the front panel is affixed to the bottom panel and includes an inside surface and an outside surface, and each side panel is affixed to the bottom panel and includes an inside surface and an outside surface. 
     
     
         6 . The package according to  claim 5 , wherein the bottom panel, the front panel, and each of the at least two side panels are a single continuous construct from a single piece of material. 
     
     
         7 . The package according to  claim 6 , wherein the front panel and each of the at least two side panels are delineated from the bottom panel by one or more fold lines. 
     
     
         8 . The package according to  claim 1 , wherein the receptacle is located inside the container prior to deployment. 
     
     
         9 . The package according to  claim 8 , wherein the receptacle is outside of the container after deployment. 
     
     
         10 . The package according to  claim 1 , wherein the receptacle is located outside the container prior to deployment. 
     
     
         11 . The package according to  claim 10 , wherein the receptacle is outside of the container after deployment. 
     
     
         12 . The package according to  claim 1 , wherein the receptacle, when in the deployed configuration, defines a 3-dimensional shape selected from cubic, rectangular, triangular, pyramidal, trapezoidal, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal, semispherical, oval shapes, funnel shapes, or novelty shapes. 
     
     
         13 . The package according to  claim 1 , wherein the receptacle is attached to the container. 
     
     
         14 . The package according to  claim 13 , wherein the receptacle is permanently or semi-permanently attached to the container. 
     
     
         15 . The package according to  claim 13 , wherein the receptacle is releasably attached to the container. 
     
     
         16 . The package according to  claim 13 , wherein the receptacle is attached to an inside surface of the container. 
     
     
         17 . The package according to  claim 13 , wherein the receptacle is attached to an outside surface of the container. 
     
     
         18 . The package according to  claim 1 , wherein the container is selected from a bag, a box, a tube, a bottle, a can, a jar, a jug, a cup, a bin, or a canister. 
     
     
         19 . The package according to  claim 1 , wherein the container is a bag or a box. 
     
     
         20 . A receptacle for dispensing and containing a product from a package after deployment of the receptacle from the package, comprising:
 a bottom panel, the bottom panel including an attachment surface on a proximal end attachable to the package;   a front panel on a distal end of the bottom panel; and   at least one side panel;   wherein the front panel and the at least one side panel are at least partially collapsible;   wherein the receptacle is operatable between a stowed configuration, in which each of the front panel and the at least one side panel is at least partially collapsed, and a deployed configuration, in which each of the front panel and at least one side panel is folded up from the bottom panel providing sidewalls for at least partially containing the product in the receptacle.   
     
     
         21 . A packaged product, comprising:
 a package according to  claim 1 ; and   a product at least partially filling the package.   
     
     
         22 . The packaged product according to  claim 21 , wherein the product is a food product. 
     
     
         23 . The packaged product according to  claim 22 , wherein the food product is a snack product selected from potato chips, popcorn, pretzels, corn chips, trail mix, crackers, nuts, fries, cookies, cheese snacks, or other plurality of generally bite-sized snack foods. 
     
     
         24 . The packaged product according to  claim 22 , wherein the food product is selected from flour, granulated coffee or coffee beans, corn meal, instant potatoes, pancake mix, biscuit mix, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, oatmeal, rice, confections, or dry breakfast cereal. 
     
     
         25 . The packaged product according to  claim 21 , wherein the product is selected from granulated laundry detergent, powdered dishwashing detergent, powdered cleanser, talcum powder, powdered carpet freshener, toys, blocks, games, or jewelry. 
     
     
         26 . A method for dispensing a defined quantity of a product from a packaged product according to  claim 21 , comprising the steps of:
 (i) deploying the receptacle, and   (ii) agitating and tilting the package to dispense the defined quantity of the product into the receptacle.