We have all heard of horror stories about toys arriving with a different content or worst, missing content. Hasbro has filed a patent that may prevent this from happening in the future.
The so-called anti-theft/anti-tampering packaging is for a new eco-friendly packaging that has a plastic-free window. With this new, open packaging it is open (pun not intended!) to theft and tampering.
To allow for the open-style packaging and eliminate the risk of the toy being removed or replaced with another toy, the toy has a molded key lock built into the toy itself.
The key lock is a retractable protrusion that is pushed through the packaging insert. After which, a bamboo or rigid paper strap is slid through it (the molded key lock) from behind the packaging insert.
The intriguing part is, the key lock will be permanently plugged into the back of the toy once it is removed from the packaging.
The plugging in of the key lock appears to be an inevitable process as consumers will have to push out the toy out of the packaging insert by pushing on the key lock.
As the toy is being pushed out, the molded key lock gets plugged into the body of the toy. This means nobody will be able to place the toy back into the package once it is removed. Clever!
To file a patent is not cheap and so is developing an entirely new, secured packaging. This goes to show how serious Hasbro is in moving forward with eco-friendlier packaging.
But then again, a patent is a patent. It may or may not materialize. More details of the patent, officially referred to as “Package With Product Locking Assembly” can be found HERE.
Images: Hasbro via WIPO IP Portal.
via TFW2005.
