Package assembly for separately packaging, displaying, and dispensing a

Abstract

A package assembly formed from two detachably connectable package modules is provided for separately packaging a plurality of articles, such as machine tool cutting inserts. Each package module is substantially structurally identical to the other module, and comprises a tray having a top portion, a bottom wall, side walls, and a plurality of spaced-apart interior walls that define a plurality of article-holding chambers, a transparent lid slidably mounted on the top portion of the tray for retaining, displaying, and sequentially dispensing articles disposed in the article-holding chamber of the tray. Each tray further comprises a cantilevered lip on the exterior of the tray for releasably interconnecting the side walls of the trays of two different package modules such that the bottom wall of the tray of one module and the transparent lid of the other module face the same direction. A label concerning the nature of the articles may be applied to the bottom wall of the tray or to the lid of each module. When the label is applied to the bottom wall, the horizontal interconnection provided by the cantilevered lips on the modules allows the user of the articles to advantageously see not only the articles themselves through the transparent lid of one module, but the printed information on the label of another module at the same time. Additionally, the releasable interconnection provided by the cantilevered lip on each module allows the user to easily break the package assembly in half without compromising the packaging integrity of the inserts or other articles contained within the individual modules.