U.S. patent application number 09/803556 was filed with the patent office on 2002-09-12 for articles container for sculptures.
Invention is credited to Chou, Hsih Bin.
Application Number | 20020125163 09/803556 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25186834 |
Filed Date | 2002-09-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020125163 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chou, Hsih Bin |
September 12, 2002 |
Articles container for sculptures
Abstract
The invention is a device and means for storing and shipping
fragile sculptures such as lamps. A cardboard structure encloses
the top portion of a sculpture such as a lamp, while providing a
base that receives the bottom part of a sculpture. The cardboard
structure has a top holder and a bottom holder joined by a backing
member.
Inventors: |
Chou, Hsih Bin; (Huntington
Beach, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CHARLES C.H. WU, ESQ.
CHARLES C.H. WU & ASSOCIATES, APC
7700 IRVINE CENTER DRIVE, SUITE 710
IRVINE
CA
92618-3043
US
|
Family ID: |
25186834 |
Appl. No.: |
09/803556 |
Filed: |
March 12, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/418 ;
206/320; 206/426; 206/780 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 5/32 20130101; B65D
73/0085 20130101; B65D 73/0092 20130101; B65D 5/504 20130101; B65D
5/5286 20130101; B65D 85/30 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/418 ;
206/320; 206/780; 206/426 |
International
Class: |
B65D 085/42 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An articles container comprising: a. an upper holder, formed
from an upper holder lower sheet and an upper holder upper sheet,
wherein said upper holder lower sheet is formed with an opening
shaped to retain a top portion of a sculpture, b. a lower holder,
formed from a lower holder upper sheet and a lower holder lower
sheet, wherein said lower holder upper sheet if formed with an
opening shaped to retain a lower portion of a sculpture, c. a
backing member, structurally connecting said upper holder with said
lower holder.
2. The articles container of claim 1, wherein said lower holder is
formed as a box enclosure joining said lower holder lower sheet and
said lower holder upper sheet.
3. The articles container of claim 2, further comprising a
transparent cover molded to conform to a sculpture and attached to
the lower holder.
4. The articles container of claim 3, wherein said lower holder
formed as a box enclosure includes a handle hole defined to allow a
person to lift the articles holder.
5. The articles container of claim 1, wherein said upper holder is
formed as a box enclosure joining said upper holder lower sheet and
said upper holder upper sheet.
6. The articles container of claim 5, wherein said upper holder
formed as a box enclosure includes a handle hole defined to allow a
person to lift the articles holder.
7. The articles container of claim 6, wherein said lower holder is
formed as a box enclosure joining said lower holder lower sheet and
said lower holder upper sheet.
8. The articles container of claim 7, further comprising a display
panel rigidly attached alongside the backing member to allow a user
to view a picture displayed on said display panel.
9. The articles container of claim 7, further comprising a
transparent cover molded to conform to a sculpture and attached to
the upper holder.
10. A lamp body container comprising: a. an upper holder, formed
from an upper holder lower sheet and an upper holder upper sheet,
wherein said upper holder lower sheet is formed with an opening
shaped to retain a top portion of a sculpture, b. a lower holder,
formed from a lower holder upper sheet and a lower holder lower
sheet, wherein said lower holder upper sheet is formed with an
opening shaped to retain a lower portion of a sculpture, c. a
backing member, structurally connecting said upper holder with said
lower holder.
11. The lamp body container of claim 10, wherein said top holder is
shaped to the approximate dimensions of a light bulb, whereby a
viewer can place a lampshade upon said top holder to attain a
notion as to the general overall appearance of the lamp having a
lampshade.
12. The lamp body container of claim 10, wherein said lower holder
is formed as a box enclosure joining said lower holder lower sheet
and said lower holder upper sheet.
13. The lamp body container of claim 11, wherein said upper holder
is formed as a box enclosure joining said lower holder lower sheet
and said lower holder upper sheet.
14. The lamp body container of claim 12, wherein said opening
shaped to retain a top portion of a sculpture, formed in the upper
holder formed as a box enclosure, includes radially emanating
scores to allow a person to push a light bulb socket through said
opening, wherein said radially emanating scores enlarges said
opening to allow a light bulb socket through said opening, wherein
said radially emanating scores close to define an opening shaped to
retain a post that holds a light bulb socket.
15. The lamp body container of claim 13, further comprising a
display panel rigidly attached alongside the backing member to
allow a user to view a picture displayed on said display panel.
16. The lamp body container of claim 13, further comprising a
transparent cover molded to conform to a sculpture and attached to
the upper holder.
17. The lamp body container of claim 14, wherein said transparent
cover is plastic.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Traditionally, shipping figurines, sculptures and lamps has
been difficult and expensive. Fragile ceramics must often be
insured against breakage. Lamps are among the most frequently
shipped sculptures requiring careful handling. Lamps have been
traditionally packed in Styrofoam containers where Styrofoam is
shaped to receive the lamps. For custom lamps, Styrofoam peanut
filled boxes are prevalent. Neither option conserves bulk packaging
material.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0002] The invention is a device and means for storing and shipping
fragile sculptures such as lamps. A cardboard structure encloses
the top portion of a sculpture such as a lamp, while providing a
base that receives the bottom part of a sculpture. The cardboard
structure has a top holder and a bottom holder joined by a backing
member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an articles container
holding a lamp body
[0004] FIG. 2 is a side view of an articles container
[0005] FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of an articles container
showing a preferred handle hole location
[0006] FIG. 4 is a diagram of a cardboard layout showing assembly
design of the preferred embodiment for a lamp container
[0007] FIG. 5 is a diagram of a display panel embodiment
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0008] The device FIG. 1 is comprised of a base holder 20 and an
upper holder 10 that respectively hold the top part and the bottom
part of a sculpture. A backing member 30 joins the top holder 10
and the bottom holder 20.
[0009] The base holder member 20 retains the bottom portion of the
article. The base holder 20 is formed from two sheets of cardboard,
the upper sheet 21 is cut with a hole 23 to receive the base of a
sculpture such as a lamp base. The lower sheet 22 covers the bottom
of the article and supports the upper sheet 21. The upper 21 and
lower 22 sheets are preferably enclosed to form a box 20 having a
hole 23, FIG. 2 23 shaped to retain the base of the sculpture. When
a box structure is used, it preferred that the lower sheet 22 and
the upper sheet 21 be formed from a single sheet of folded
cardboard FIG. 4. The lamp cord and lamp plug can be stored as a
coil around the lamp base to provide additional cushioning for the
lamp base.
[0010] The base holder can optionally include a plastic transparent
cover FIG. 1, 24 encasing the bottom portion of the sculpture and
retaining it with the base holder. The cover can be molded to
conform to the bottom half of the sculpture. The cover holds the
lower portion of an article and is retained by nailing, stapling or
a like means to the lower holder. A retailer can remove the cover
once a sculpture is placed on display. The cover can be of
different colors and designs but is preferably transparent.
[0011] The upper holder 10 is likewise formed from two sheets of
cardboard FIG. 1. A top sheet of the upper holder 11 and a lower
sheet of an upper holder 12 can form a box enclosure 10. Thus, the
upper holder 10 is preferably formed as a boxlike enclosure similar
to the lower holder. The upper holder encloses the upper portion of
a sculpture. An upper holder for a lamp has a boxlike enclosure to
enclose the light bulb socket.
[0012] The lower sheet of the upper holder 12 has an upper hole 13
conformed to the shape of the post that supports the light bulb
socket. The upper hole is scored with radially emanating slots 14
to allow the upper hole 13 to enlarge and receive a light bulb
socket, yet close thereafter to retain the light bulb socket. The
lamp is better stabilized when the upper holder forms a box
conforming to the shape of the light bulb socket. Having one side
of the box of the upper holder against the light bulb socket helps
retain the sculpture better than if no sides touch the light bulb
socket.
[0013] The backing member structurally connects the top holder with
the bottom holder. The backing member also provides a background so
that a viewer of the sculpture article can see the sculpture with a
background provided by the backing member 30. The background
provided by the backing member improves the display of a sculpture.
The backing member can be plain white or colored to match the
sculpture.
[0014] When the sculpture and is a lamp, a lampshade may be placed
on the upper holder 10. The boxlike enclosure 10 has a volume and
space approximately equal to that of a light bulb allowing
presentation of the entire lamp with its lampshade. The lampshade
obscures the upper holder 10, allowing a viewer to estimate the
total overall appearance of a lamp with its lampshade without the
need for unpackaging the lamp.
[0015] The preferred assembly, FIG. 4 of the articles holder
includes two pieces of cardboard. The first piece of cardboard
folds into a box 20 and has a hole capable of receiving the base of
a sculpture that it is designed to support. The lower holder hole
capable of receiving the base of a sculpture can also be scored
radially to allow biased resistance to provide a snug fit between
the lower holder hole and the article. The first piece of cardboard
forms a lower base holder 20 having a slot in the rear of the base
of the lower holder capable of receiving and retaining a tab.
[0016] The second piece of cardboard folds together so that the
backing member 30 has a tab 31 that can insert and be retained in
the slot of the base holder. The backing member is preferably
constructed of two layers of cardboard.
[0017] The second piece of cardboard also has a handle hole FIG. 3,
40 at the rear of the top holder. The handle hole 40 allows a user
to pick up the sculpture and the articles holder from the handle
hole. A handle hole is particularly useful when hands should not
touch a sculpture. Through the handle 40, the light bulb socket can
be seen. A buyer often needs to see the light bulb socket to view
voltage and wattage information as well as product warnings. In the
case of a sculpture the handle hole would allow a prospective
purchaser to inspect the top portion of the sculpture.
[0018] The second piece of cardboard also has an opening 13 capable
of receiving the top portion of an article such as a lamp. In the
case of a lamp, the top portion hole 13 is scored to flexibly
receive a light bulb socket. The scoring allows biased resistance
to hold a light bulb socket.
[0019] A display panel 55 can be laterally affixed alongside the
backing member FIG. 5. The preferred side to affix the display
panel 55 is the left side. The front side of the display panel can
show an image of the lamp. The display panel 55 can be formed as a
cardboard box capable of holding a collapsible lampshade. When the
display panel is embodied as a box, the backing member can also be
embodied as a box of similar thickness, capable of joining with the
display panel box to provide enough room to store a collapsible
lampshade. The display panel should be integrally formed from the
same piece of cardboard as the second piece of cardboard, to create
a box of square cross section capable of storage of a generally
circular collapsed lampshade.
[0020] The units can be stacked as couples so that the lamp portion
of a first unit fits against the display panel of a second unit,
forming a rectangular box. The units can also be packed with two
lampshades stored in a display panel of a first unit that fits with
a second unit lacking a display box.
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