AU683444B2 - Tagged article - Google Patents

Description

1 ~1~1_1 ~;1 Regpdulon 32

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

(ORIGINAL)

r r Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: PACIFIC DUNLOP LIMITED Paul James VALLIS DAVIES COLLISON CAVE, Patent Attorneys, 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

Tagged Article Invention Title: Details of Associated Provisional Application No.: PL 8114/93 Filed 1 April 1993 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: -1- I -2- TAGGED ARTICLE This invention relates to a tagged article.

Various forms of packaging are presently utilised in marketing articles. Generally, modem packaging practice is to package small consumer articles individually or in lots of a few in individual closed packages. So-called "blister" packs wholly or partly formed from, usually clear, plastics mouldings or from shrink plastics are often employed in conjunction with cardboard components. One common form is that the plastics part is 10 formed as a plastics moulding which is clear with a compartment formed in it for holding :0i" the article, the plastics part being coupled by gluing, stapling or otherwise to a backing sheet formed of cardboard or the like which closes the compartment. In other cases the article is positioned on a cardboard backing and a heat shrinkable plastics sheet is applied over these.

Most of the above prior methods of packaging produce rather bulky products.

That is they occupy a volume considerably in excess of the volume of the contained article or articles. They are often frustratingly difficult for users to open, while the amount of plastiL and cardboard used in them is a matter of widespread environmental concern.

'A particular difficulty arising from the bulkiness resulting from these methods of packaging arises at the point of sale. For sales presentation, packages as abovedescribed may be provided with apertures or the like to enable a plurality of them to be suspended from a suitable rack. In these cases, merchandisers will prefer to maximise the number of displayed articles in a given area. If, as is usual, the articles are suspended from side by side forwardly extending racks on a wall or the like, then the side to side widths of the packages, and the end to end lengths thereof, determine the number of racks wlhch may be placed side by side in a given area and thus the number of articles which may be displayed. Because the abovedescribed packages normally extend considerably outside the borders of the contained article or articles, both in the lengthwise and the side to side direction, the number of articles which can be presented for display in a given area is less 94331,pAopkatpadcrpr,2 P £I'11RVAi, 6 2O gIV -3than might otherwise be the case.

According to the present invention there is provided an article having a tag which extends into the article and which is retained thereby but withdrawable therefrom, the article engaging the tag to prevent the tag from being withdrawn under gravity when the article is suspended from the tag but such as to permit a user to effect said withdrawal of the tag by hand, tag extending outwardly from the article through an opening therein, portions of the article defining the opening frictionally engaging the tag for holding it in position relative to the article.

The tag may be formed as a flexible planar element. It may co-operate with an internal component of the article so that, when withdrawn, the tag is torn or otherwise affected in a manner distinguishing it in appearance from a tag which has not been so affected. In one form, the tag has an aperture into which an internal component of the article extends so that when the tag is withdrawn, the tag is torn by engagement with that component.

The tag may be held in the article by co-operation with an internal component thereof such as the component above-mentioned and/or by other means such as frictional engagement with the article. Components of the article may define a path of movement for the tag as it i 20 is withdrawn, which path of movement includes a component normal to a side to side :dimension of the tag and normal to a direction in which said withdrawal occurs. Thus, where the tag is withdrawn through an opening defmed between two parts of the article, these may define a tortuous path for the tag to increase frictional resistance to withdrawal.

The invention is particularly suited to arrangements where the tag has an opening or other means to enable the article to be hung from a suitable rack by the tag, in which case it is preferable that the tag be arranged so that when so hung, the article hangs substantially vertically. Furthermore, it is preferred in this case that, when so hung, the side tu side dimension of the tag does not extend beyond the maximum side to side dimension of the 230.20/8/97 V PCflcI'YAT.ITA6W246I3O 1 9117 -4article.

The tag may be formed for example from plastics or like sheet or from paper.

The invention is particularly but not exclusively applicable to use with an article having parts which are mounted together by a screw fastener in which case it is possible to so adjust the force between the two parts during screwing of the parts together that a required degree of resilient gripping of the tag is exhibited.

The invention also provides a method of providing a tag for an article, the article being formed of two parts which are held together by use of a screw fastener, comprising positioning the tag between the two parts before these are secured together and then securing them together by the screw fastener such that the tag is engaged and frictionally gripped between the two parts, and wherein the securing force provided by the securing together is selected such that force is applied to the tag sufficient to prevent the tag from being withdrawn under gravity when the article is suspended from the tag, while permitting a user S.to withdraw the tag by hand.

*e.

The invention is further described by way of example only with reference to the 20 accompanying drawings in which: .Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tagged article formed in accordance with the invention, being a double adaptor for power outlets; Figure 2 is a plan view of a tag fitted to the article of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a horizontal cross-section of the article and tag of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a plan view of the article of Figure 1 with the tag withdrawn; Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical end to end cross-section of the tagged article of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a display board displaying articles in accordance with Figure 1; and P J I I1!.V,24' 4 I A I J7 )7 Figure 7 is a side view of the display board and articles shown in Figure 6.

The article shown in Figure 1 comprises a double adaptor 10 for use in domestic power outlets. This is of generally conventional form comprising two moulded plastics casing parts 12, 14. Part 12 has three electrical contact pins 17 extending therefrom to enable the adaptor to be plugged into a domestic power point. Part 14 (Figure 4) has two sets of openings, forming sockets 16 for plugging thereinto of electric plugs. Contacts 18 within the double adaptor 10 are positioned one behind each of the openings of sockets 16 to make contact with plug pins when inserted thereinto. As shown in Figure 3, the pins 17 and contacts 18 within the device are arranged and interconnected in a conventional fashion by suitable electrical conductors so that in use of the double adaptor 10, pins of plugs plugged into the sockets 16 will be electrically coupled to ones of the pins 17 so that electric supply provided to the pins 17 will be provided also to the contacts 18 and to the pins of plugs plugged into the sockets 16.

:i A flexible generally planar tab 20 is provided extending from the interior of the double adaptor 10 to the exterior thereof. The tag is in the form shown in Figure 2, having a generally elongate rectangular format with side edges 22, 24 and opposite end edges 26, 28.

An aperture 30 is provided adjacent one end edge 26 thereof, the distance between end edge 26 and the nearest point of aperture 30 being relatively small.

~The tag may be formed of any relatively thin material preferably having some strength however. Suitable materials comprise plastics sheeting, such as Mylar, or paper. Where 25 paper is employed, it is preferred that the paper be of a relatively strong quality. Material marketed under the tradename TYVEK has been found to be particularly satisfactory. This material is paper based, but incorporates plastics reinforcement so that even relatively thin sheets of the order of thickness of paper usually used for writing paper may be used. TYVEK Spaper of weight 75 grams/square metre has been found suitable, P kOP1T.,XA1 N J~(Jhw 'rlv -6- Referring now to Figure 3, contacts 18 of each of the sockets 16 are shown retained in upstanding electrically insulative posts 34 formed on the interior of casing parts 12 and 14.

The aperture 30 formed in the tab 20 is designed to accommodate these three posts together with an upstanding spigot 36 also formed on the interior of casing part 14. There is a further spigot 36 formed on the interior of the part 12, and an opening 21 is provided through part 14, and the spigot on part 14, whereby a screw 38 may be passed through this opening 21, through the spigot 36 on the part 14 to enter into a screw tireaded bore 27 in the spigot 36 on part 14, for the purpose of holding the two parts 12 and 14 together. As shown in Figure 3, the tab 20 is shown positioned with the posts 34 and a spigot 36 within the aperture 30 in tab 20, and with the tab extending externally of the casing.

During assembly of the two parts 12, 14, these are screwed together using the screw 38 in such fashion that the tab is captured in the casing with the posts 34 and at least one of the spigots 36 extending through the aperture 30. Referring now to Figure 5, the posts 34 and spigots 36 are shown so encompassed by the aperture 30. The manner in which the tab extends from these and externally of the casing is also illustrated. In particular, the upper :i casing part 12 has a downwardly depending peripheral wall part 40, with a depending outer rim 46. The part 14 aio has an upstanding peripheral wall part 42 which co-operates with wall part 40 to form the side wall of the double adaptor 10. Wall part 42 includes an upwardly projecting inner rim 44. The arrangement is such that, when the two parts 12 and 14 are assembled together, the rim 46 of wall part 40 extends externally of the rim 44 in spaced parallel position and terminates somewhat short of a step 42a in wall part 42. Rim 44 terminates in spaced relationship to a step 40a in wall part 40, adjacent rim 46. The tab thus extends from the interior of the casing externally therefrom through a small opening 25 which exists principally between the wall part 40 of casing 12 and the wall part 42 of casing part 14. In particular, the tab extends downwardly over rim 44 between rims 44 and 46, at locations where these are closely spaced, and then along step 42a externally of the casing.

Thus, the tab is conformed to a somewhat elongated configuration where it passes through the side wall of the double adaptor.

P .c0fTlIVIJKLAT1 iVO 91 'J -7- By the above arrangement a degree of resilient gripping of the tag may be provided by the engagement of the parts 12, 14 therewith.

The tab 20 has an aperture 50 at the end thereof remote from aperture 30 and this is designed to enable the double adaptor 10 to be suspended from a suitable cantilevered rack (Figure 6) for the purpose of hangingly displaying the article. When so suspended, the frictional coupling as between the article and the tab is such that the article will not slide readily from the tab. However, if the tab is firmly grasped, it can be withdrawn in which case the aperture 30 is brought into engagement with the posts 34, and one or both of the spigots 36 to cause tearing of the material forming the tab 20, over the distance as between the aperture 30 and the edge 26. Then, the tab may be fully withdrawn from the article.

The movement to effect withdrawal of the tag is generally in the direction of extent of the tag i.e. by movement of the plane of the tag, or at least in the planes of the enclosed and protruding parts of the tag. The tag may be otherwise than planar, and/or otherwise than flexible.

t.t. As shown in Figure 6 and 7, a number of articles 10 may be suspended from outstanding racks 70 on a wall 80 with the racks passing through the apertures 50 of the tabs associated with the articles.

In the particular arrangement shown, the width of the tab 20 is somewhat less than that of the article 10 so that a number of articles 10 may be suspended from side by side racks 25 in closely spaced juxtaposition. Similarly, it is possible, by making the tab relatively short in length, to enable positioning of a number of racks 70 in relatively close disposition one above the other. Thus, over a given area, such as represented by the area of the rectangular wall 80, a substantial number of articles 10 may be displayect, such as for sale.

The described construction has been advanced merely by way of explanation, and I WJI\KT4 M 9 979 -8many modifications and variations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

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Claims (20)

1. An article having a tag which extends into the article and which is retained thereby but withdrawable therefrom, the article engaging the tag to prevent the tag from being withdrawn under gravity when the article is suspended from the tag, but such as to permit a user to effect said withdrawal of the tag by hand, tag extending outwardly from the article through an opening therein, portions of the article defining the opening frictionally engaging the tag for holding it in position relative to the article.

2. An article as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tag is formed as a flexible planar element.

3. An article as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the tag co-operates with an internal component of the article so that, when withdrawn, the tag is torn or otherwise affected in a manner distinguishing it in appearance form a tag which has not been so affected.

4. An article as claimed in claim 3 wherein the tag has an aperture into which an internal 0 •"o component of the article extends so that when the tag is withdrawn, the tag is torn by engagement with that component.

5. An article as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the tag is held in the article by co-operation with an internal part of the article.

6. An article as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the tag is held in the article by co- operation with the internal component.

7. An article as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the portions of the article resiliently engage the tag. M/ 0

8. An article as claimed in claim 7 wherein components of the article define a path of P \OIEIRlKNtM9246 W4 20 20111 movement for the tag as it is withdrawn, which path of movement includes a component normal to a side to side dimension of the tag and normal to a dire I-on in which said withdrawal occurs.

9. An article as claimed in claim 8 wherein said path of movement is tortuous.

An article as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the tag has means to enable the article to be hung from a rack by the tag.

11. An article as claimed in claim 10 wherein said means to enable the article to be hung comprises a hanging opening in the tag.

12. An article as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11 wherein when the article is hung by said means to enable the article to be hung, the article hangs substantially vertically.

13. An article as claimed in claim 12 wherein when the article is hung by said means to enable the article to be hung, the side to side dimension of the tag does not extend beyond the maximum side to side dimension of the article. 20

14. An article as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the tag is formed from sheet plastics or from paper.

An article as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the article has parts which are mounted together by a screw fastener.

16. An article as claimed in claim 15 wherein the portions of the article defining the opc.-ing in the article are defined on respective said parts, whereby said frictional engagement arises from force exerted on opposite faces of the tag by the portions of the article and arising pursuant to screwing together of the parts by said screw fastener. P 1I0ERKATL59246 1 230 20/8/9 11

17. A method of providing a tag for an article, the article being formed if two parts which are held together by use of a screw fastener, comprising positioning the tag between the two parts before these are secured together and then securing them together by the screw fastener such that the tag is engaged and frictionally gripped between the two parts, and wherein the securing force provided by the securing together is selected such that force is applied to the tag sufficient to prevent the tag from being withdrawn under gravity when the article is suspended from the tag, while permitting a user to withdraw the tag by hand.

18. A tagged article substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

19. A method of forming a tagged article substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. a Dated this 20th day of August, 1997 DAVIES COLLISON CAVE

20 Patent Attorneys for PACIFIC DUNLOP LIMITED -a- (Y)TN lv/ I V ABSTRACT An article having a tag which is in the form of a flexible planar element. The element is partly positioned within the article and partly outside the article, being 10 arranged to be withdrawable from the article when not required. 0 94D331,p:Vp"WApwirprci1pipiI1 i