BACKGROUND

1. Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to packaging and, more particularly, to a clamshell blister package.

2. Description of Related Art [0002] A clamshell blister package is a formed plastic package used to encapsulate a product. The clamshell package may consist of one pre-foπned plastic sheet folded over onto itself or two pre-foπned plastic sheets that are fused at the edges. Clamshell packages are more secure than blister packages with paperboard and are difficult to open by hand. As such, clamshell packaging deters tampering and pilfering. For additional security, retail stores may attach an alarm spider wrap to the clamshell package. An alarm spider wrap includes an alarm component with expandable cables. The alarm component is attached to a clamshell package by wrapping the cables around the clamshell package and securing the cables with a locking clip. If a thief cuts the cables or walks out of the store with the alarm spider wrap still attached to the clamshell package, the alarm component sounds an alarm. [0003] Unfortunately, thieves have been able to subvert the protection alarm spider wraps provide by slipping or prying off the cables from the clamshell packaging, hi response, retail stores have been wrapping the cables more tightly around the clamshell packages. Wrapping the cables more tightly around the packages may crush or damage the packing and may not entirely prevent thieves from slipping or prying the cables from the clamshell packaging. [0004] An additional issue with prior art clamshell packaging is that they are not designed to be integral with the alarm spider swap and do not control the location of the alarm component. The alarm component may interfere with the presentation of the product by obscuring view of the product or by preventing the clamshell package from being able to sit upright or rest flat. [0005] Accordingly, there is a need for a clamshell package that provides a location for the alarm component of the alarm spider wrap for purposes* of proper presentation and that allows the alarm spider wrap to be affixed more securely to the clamshell package.

SUMMARY [0006] In one aspect of the disclosure, a clamshell package includes an enclosure configured to hold a product. The enclosure includes a recess configured to receive an alarm component of an alarm spider wrap.

[0007] hi another aspect of the disclosure, clamshell packaging includes a bottom shell and a top shell. The bottom shell has a first bottom shell channel and a second bottom shell channel. The top shell has a first top shell channel and a second top shell channel. The top shell provides an enclosure with the bottom shell when the top shell is attached to the bottom shell. The first bottom shell channel aligns with the first top shell channel to form a first channel along an outer surface of the enclosure when the top shell is attached to the bottom shell. The second bottom shell channel aligns with the second top shell channel to form a second channel along the outer surface of the enclosure when the top shell is attached to the bottom shell. The first channel and the second channel are on opposite sides of the enclosure. [0008] hi a further aspect of the disclosure, a clamshell package with an exterior surface configured to attach an alarm spider wrap having cables and an alarm component includes means for recessing the alarm component within the exterior surface and means for preventing the cables from being slipped off of the clamshell package.

[0009] It is understood that other aspects of a clamshell package will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein it is shown and described only exemplary configurations of a clamshell package. As will be realized, the invention includes other and different aspects of a clamshell package and the various details presented throughout this disclosure are capable of modification in various other respects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and the detailed description are to be- regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a clamshell package. [0011] FIG. 2 is a front view of the clamshell package of FIG. 1.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a rear view of the clamshell package of FIG. 1.

[0013] FIG. 4 is a side view of the clamshell package of FIG. 1.

[0014] FIG. 5 is a top view of the clamshell package of FIG. 1.

[0015] FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the clamshell package of FIG. 1. [0016] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another example of a clamshell package.

[0017] FIG. 8 is a front view of the clamshell package of FIG. 7.

[0018] FIG. 9 is a rear view of the clamshell package of FIG. 7.

[0019] FIG. 10 is a side view of the clamshell package of FIG. 7.

[0020] FIG. 11 is a top view of the clamshell package of FIG. 7. [0021] FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the clamshell package of FIG. 7.

[0022] FIG. 13 is a top view of the clamshell package of FIG. 1 with an attached alarm spider wrap.

[0023] FIG. 14 is a front view of the clamshell package of FIG. 1 with an attached alarm spider wrap. [0024] FIG. 15 is a side view of the clamshell package of FIG. 1 with an attached alarm spider wrap.

[0025] FIG. 16 is a bottom view of the clamshell package of FIG, 1 with an attached alarm spider wrap. [0026] FIG. 17 is a rear view of the clamshell package of FIG. 1 with an attached alarm spider wrap. [0027] FIG. 18 is a top view of the clamshell package of FIG. 7 with an attached alarm spider wrap.

[0028] FIG. 19 is a front view of the clamshell package of FIG. 7 with an attached alarm spider wrap.

[0029] FIG. 20 is a side view of the clamshell package of FIG. 7 with an attached alarm spider wrap.

[0030] FIG. 21 is a bottom view of the clamshell package of FIG. 7 with an attached alarm spider wrap.

[0031] FIG. 22 is a rear view of the clamshell package of FIG. 7 with an attached alarm spider wrap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The present invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which various aspects of a clamshell package are shown. This invention, however, may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited by the various aspects of the clamshell package presented herein. The detailed description of the clamshell package is provided below so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete,, and will fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art.

[0033] The detailed description may include specific details for illustrating various aspects of a clamshell package. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details, hi some instances, well known elements may be shown in block diagram form, or omitted, to avoid obscuring the inventive concepts presented throughout this disclosure. [0034] Relative terms such as "lower" or "bottom" and "upper" or "top" may be used herein to describe one element's relationship to another element illustrated in the drawings. It will be understood that relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of a clamshell package in addition to the orientation depicted in the drawings. By way of example, if a clamshell package in the drawings is turned over, elements described as being on the "bottom" side of the other elements would then be oriented on the "top" side of the other elements. The term "bottom" can therefore encompass both an orientation of "bottom" and "top" depending on the particular orientation of the apparatus .

[0035] Various aspects of a clamshell package may be illustrated with reference to one or more exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the term "exemplary" means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration," and should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments of a clamshell package disclosed herein. [0036] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clamshell package 10. The clamshell package 10 includes a first shell 11 and a second shell 12. The first and second shells 11, 12 are formed plastic shells. The first and second plastic shells 11, 12 fit together into a clamshell such that edges 11 ' of the first plastic shell 11 may be fused to edges 12' of the second plastic shell 12 to form an enclosure for holding a product. A top side of the clamshell package 10 is formed with a channel 13 and a bottom side of the clamshell package 10, opposite the top side, is formed with a channel 14, which is separated from channel 13. The channel 13 and the channel 14 may be in circumferential alignment such that the channels extend in a direction corresponding to a direction of cables wrapped around a circumference of the clamshell package 10. The channels 13, 14 prevent cables that are wrapped longitudinally around the first and second plastic shells 11, 12 through the channels 13, 14 from being slipped off the clamshell package 10.

[0037] FIG. 2 is a front view of the clamshell package 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the first plastic shell 11 is formed with an upper channel 15 on a top side and a lower channel 16 on a bottom side. The upper channel 15 and the lower channel 16 are rectangular recesses. FIG. 3 is a rear view of the clamshell package 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the second plastic shell 12 is formed with an upper channel 17 on a top side and a lower channel 18 on a bottom side. The upper channel 17 is a rectangular recess. The channels 15, 17 have substantially the same shape and align together to provide the channel 13 when the plastic shells 11, 12 are fused together. Channels 15, 17 have a width and a depth to allow a locking clip to rest securely along a joint bottom surface of the channels. The channels 15, 17 may have a width of about two inches and a height of about one inch. The channel 16 has approximately the same shape as channel 15. The channel 18 includes two sections, a first channel section 19 with a shape substantially conforming to a shape of the channel 16 and a second channel section 20 for an alarm component of an alarm spider wrap. The first channel section 19 is a rectangular recess. The first channel section 19 aligns with the lower channel 16 to provide part of channel 14 when the plastic shells 11, 12 are fused together. The remaining part of channel 14 is the second channel section 20. The second channel section 20 is a circular recess and is recessed within the second plastic shell 12 to allow an alarm component to recess completely within the second plastic shell 12 without protruding from a bottom of the clamshell packaging 10. [0038] FIG. 4 is a side view of the clamshell package 10. FIG. 5 is a top view of the clamshell package 10. FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the clamshell package 10. As shown in FIG. 6, the alarm component recess 20 is in the form of a semicircle. However, the alarm component recess 20 may have different shapes according to the shape of the alarm component. The channels 16, 19 may have a width of about two inches and a height of about one inch and the alarm component recess 20 has a diameter of about two inches. [0039] FIGs. 7-12 are views of a clamshell package 30. The clamshell package 30 includes a plastic flange 21 within channel 13. The plastic flange 21 extends from channel 13 and may extend between channels 15 and 17 where edges of the first and second plastic shells 11, 12 are fused. The plastic flange 21 stretches widthwise across the channel 13, perpendicular to a direction in which channel 13 extends, along the top of the clamshell package 30 and is attached to or formed integrally with edges of the channel 13. The plastic flange 21 has a hole 22 (i.e., batwing) for allowing the clamshell package 30 to be hung from a hanger. The hole 22 may have various shapes to accommodate single or double hangers. The hole 22 may be formed with sufficient width and height such that a locking clip may^e inserted through the hole for securing the cables of an alarm spider wrap.

[0040] FIGs. 13-17 are views of the clamshell package 10 with an attached alarm spider wrap showing the alarm component 42, the cables 4I ₅ and the locking clip 40. FIGs. 18-22 are views of the clamshell package 30 with an attached alarm spider wrap showing the alarm component 42, the cables 41, and the locking clip 40. As discussed supra, the clamshell package includes a means for recessing an alarm component 42 within an exterior surface of the clamshell package. The means for recessing the alarm component 42 is the alarm component recess 20 within the channel 14 of the clamshell package 10 or within the channel 18 of the second plastic shell 12 (see FIG. 3). The clamshell package further includes a means for preventing the cables 41 from being slipped off of the clamshell package. The means for preventing the cables 41 from being slipped off of the clamshell package 10 includes the first channel 13 and the second channel 14, which together may be in circumferential alignment (see FIG. 1). The first and second channels 13, 14 provide a cable region with a smaller circumference than regions immediately adjacent the cable region.

[0041] The various aspects of this disclosure are provided to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the present invention. Modifications to various aspects of a clamshell package presented throughout this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the concepts disclosed herein may be extended to other applications. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the various aspects of a clamshell package presented throughout this disclosure, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language of the claims. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions- of 35 U.S.C. §112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase "means for" or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase "step for."