U.S. patent application number 10/462972 was filed with the patent office on 2003-12-18 for container with integral card holder.
This patent application is currently assigned to MARS, INCORPORATED. Invention is credited to Baker, Paul J..
Application Number | 20030230514 10/462972 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29736607 |
Filed Date | 2003-12-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030230514 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Baker, Paul J. |
December 18, 2003 |
Container with integral card holder
Abstract
A sample container, having a lid and a base, is configured to
secure at least one card to an inner or out surface of the
container. At least one of the lid and the base forms an inner
volume for holding a sample item.
Inventors: |
Baker, Paul J.;
(Saylorsburg, PA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FITZPATRICK CELLA HARPER & SCINTO
30 ROCKEFELLER PLAZA
NEW YORK
NY
10112
US
|
Assignee: |
MARS, INCORPORATED
McLean
VA
|
Family ID: |
29736607 |
Appl. No.: |
10/462972 |
Filed: |
June 17, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60389215 |
Jun 17, 2002 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/732 ; 206/39;
206/449; 206/45.28; 206/528 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 51/245 20130101;
B65D 25/205 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/732 ;
206/449; 206/528; 206/39; 206/45.28 |
International
Class: |
B65D 085/48 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A container for storing and dispensing small objects, the
container comprising a lid and a hollow base; the base comprising a
plurality of sides and a bottom forming an inner volume; and the
lid comprising an inner surface and an outer surface and a
plurality of card securing members, configured to secure one or
more cards to a surface of the container.
2. The container of claim 1, wherein each of the card securing
members and the outer surface of the lid forms a slot configured to
accept a portion of an edge or a corner of a card to secure the
card to the upper surface of the lid.
3. The container of claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the lid
defines a depression, having a size corresponding to that of a
card, and the card securing members are positioned to secure a card
in the depression.
4. The container of claim 3, comprising four card securing members,
each positioned to secure a corner of a card.
5. The container of claim 3, wherein the outer surface of the lid
within the depression is positioned inside the inner surface of the
lid outside the depression.
6. The container of claim 3, wherein each member is part of the lid
outside the depression, and, with the outer surface of the lid
within the depression, form a slot configured to secure a portion
of a card.
7. The container of claim 1, wherein the members and the lid are a
single piece.
8. The container of claim 1, further comprising a hinge connecting
the lid and base.
9. The container of claim 8, wherein the hinge is a living
hinge.
10. The container of claim 8, wherein the hinge is a pin type
hinge.
11. The container of claim 1, wherein the lid and the base comprise
complimentary parts of at least one latch, configured to secure the
container in a closed position, and to open the container with
finger pressure.
12. The container of claim 1, wherein the lid and the base are
configured to allow removal of the lid to provide access to the
base inner volume.
13. The container of claim 1, wherein the base is configured to
hold small objects selected from the group consisting of candy,
collectibles, gum, one or more ingredients required for a recipe,
pills, tablets, nuts, screws, washers, bolts, and mechanical,
electric, and electronic components and devices.
14. The container of claim 1, wherein the container has a length of
at least about 10.5 cm, a width of at least about 6.3 cm, and a
height of at least about 1.2 cm.
15. A sample container, comprising a lid and a base, each having an
inner surface and an outer surface, wherein at least one of the lid
and the base defines an inner volume, an at least one inner or
outer surface is configured to secure a card to the surface.
16. The container of claim 15, wherein the outer surface of the lid
is configured to secure the card.
17. The container of claim 15, wherein the surface is configured to
secure a business card to the surface.
18. The container of claim 15, wherein the base defines at least a
portion of the inner volume, and the lid is configured to secure
one or more cards to the container.
19. The container of claim 18, wherein the outer surface of the lid
is configured to secure one or more cards to the container.
20. The container of claim 15, wherein at least one surface
comprises a plurality of card securing members in the form of a
slot configured to accept a portion of an edge or a corner of a
card to secure the card to the surface.
Description
[0001] This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/389,215, filed Jun. 17, 2002.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to containers for relatively
small objects. In particular, the invention is directed to a sample
container for relatively small objects configured to secure one or
more cards, such as business cards, onto an interior or exterior
surface of the container.
[0004] 2. Background of the Invention
[0005] Containers and dispensers for small objects, such as, e.g.,
candy gum, tablets, pills, mechanical attachments, and mechanical
and electronic devices, are well known in the art. Often such
containers are used to provide a sample of a product to a potential
customer. In such situations, a company representative often
provides one or more cards, such as business cards that provide
information required for the recipient to contact the
representative and product description cards or brochures
describing the sample.
[0006] Two problems arise in such situations. First, the
representative must have both a supply of samples and a supply of
cards to provide to potential customers. Often cards, particularly
business cards, are kept in a card holder or dispenser, such as
that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,240,989 to Masoud, and discussed
below. Therefore, in the exchange, the representative must hand the
sample container to the potential customer, and retrieve a card
from a card supply to provide to the potential customer. In some
situations, this may be awkward.
[0007] Second, once the potential customer has received the sample
and cards, it is highly desirable to keep the sample and cards
together. This is especially important at events, such as trade
shows, where potential customers receive numerous samples and cards
and brochures. However, samples, which may be bulky, are typically
placed into a sample bag, and the matching card or cards are placed
into a pocket, a card holder, or simply dropped into the sample
bag. As a result, cards and samples must be sorted and matched by
the recipient after the event.
[0008] Various containers and dispensers for a small objects are
known in the art. For example, U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 400,006 to
Girvetz discloses a pager shaped pill box with a drawer, and U.S.
Design Pat. No. Des. 407,972 to Hilton discloses a sliding
case.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,430 to Bergh et al. discloses a
container having base and lid sections, one of which has a wall
member configured to be nested within the other section when the
container is closed. A hinge is provided as a pivotal connection
between the wall members of the lid and the base. The hinge defines
a pivotal axis that is movable laterally relative to one section,
while being fixed against lateral movement relative to the other
section during opening and closing.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 3,833,143 to Starkermann et al. discloses a
slide container, comprising a substantially flat drawer-like shell
having front, rear, and parallel sidewalls, and a cover formed
plate member having at least one pair of depending sidewall
overlapping the cover. The shell slides in and out of the cover in
a telescoping manner.
[0011] Card holders are also known. For example, U.S. Pat. No.
6,240,989 to Masoud discloses a business card holder and dispenser
sized to fit in a pocket. The holder comprises a lid and a base
connected by a hinge. Business cards within the holder are
accessible when the lid is opened. When the lid is closed, a
projection-receptacle engaging mechanism located on the rim of the
base engages the lid to secure the lid on the base. A finger access
on the lid allows a user to open the lid with simple finger
pressure to access cards within the holder.
[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,815 and U.S. Design Pat. No. Des.
343,638, both to Kovner, disclose a business card holder configured
to removably hold business cards of different dimensions for
mounting in a standard card storage and retrieval system, such as a
ROLODEX.RTM.. The card holder comprises a thin, stiff, rectangular
sheet with holes and slits extending from the holes to allow
business cards of different sizes to be removably attached by
inserting corners of the business cards into the holes. If the
business card is larger than standard, its edges are slipped into
the slits.
[0013] None of the references discussed herein overcome the
problems discussed above. Therefore, a need exists for a sample
container that allows providing a sample container and a card in
one simple action, where the recipient need not be concerned with
the possibility of separating the container and the card. The
present invention provides such a sample container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The present invention is directed to a sample container,
comprising a lid and a base, each having an inner surface and an
outer surface, and forming an inner volume. At least one of the
surfaces is configured to secure one or more cards, such as
business cards, product description cards, recipe cards, greeting
cards, reference cards, index cards, and the like, to the surface.
In a preferred embodiment, the container comprises a lid and a
preferably hollow base. The preferred base comprises a plurality of
sides and a bottom forming an inner volume, and the lid comprises
an inner surface and an outer surface and one or more card securing
members, such as, e.g., tabs, slots, grooves, or similar members,
or an adhesive, preferably one that allows the card to be removed
and reattached without damage, such as that used on Post-it.RTM.
Brand products, double sided tape, or VELCRO.RTM. on the upper
surface. However, either the lid or the base may define at least a
portion of the inner volume of the container, and containers of the
invention may comprise card securing members on any interior or
exterior surface. In the preferred embodiment, each of the card
securing members and the upper surface of the lid may form a slot
configured to accept a portion of an edge or a corner of a card to
secure the card to the upper surface of the lid. Any of the sides
of the lid or base may be decorated. Decorations include those that
are engraved, embossed, or molded into the surface, and may also
comprise one or more prisms, diffraction gratings, white light
holograms, or the like to provide a colored pattern on the surface.
Containers in accordance with the invention may have any useful
shape, and have any number of sides, ranging from four in a
triangular pyramid to a theoretically infinite number of sides in a
sphere.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates a closed container of the invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates an open container of the invention;
and
[0017] FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the container
of FIGS. 1 and 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] The present invention is directed to a container that may be
used to provide samples, where the samples are preferably small
objects, such as candy, gum, collectibles, pills, tablets,
mechanical connectors, electronic components, one or more
ingredients required for a recipe, nuts, screws, washers, bolts,
and electronic, electrical, or mechanical components and devices.
The container comprises a lid and a base, where one of the lid and
the base is configured to secure one or more cards on an inner or
outer surface. As generally described and illustrated herein, the
lid of the sample container of the invention is configured to
secure a card to the outer surface of the lid. However, as will be
recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art, depending on the
overall size and shape of the sample container, it will be possible
to secure a card to any inner or outer surface of the container.
Where at least one side of the lid or base is sufficiently large,
that side may be configured to secure a card. Thus, depending upon
the application, it may be desirable to secure the card to an inner
or outer surface of either the lid or the base.
[0019] Moreover, as generally described and illustrated herein, the
container of the invention is configured to secure one or more
business cards to a surface. However, as will be recognized by
those skilled in the art, containers in accordance with the
invention may be configured to secure a variety of different cards
to a surface. For example, containers of the invention may be
configured to secure business cards, greeting cards, product
description cards, recipe cards, reference cards, index cards, and
the like. Where the cards are recipe cards, the containers are
preferably configured to contain ingredients required for the
recipe.
[0020] A sample container in accordance with the invention is
illustrated in perspective in FIG. 1 in a closed position and in
FIG. 2 in an open position. Container 10 comprises a lid 12 and a
base 14. As illustrated, the base 14 comprises a plurality of sides
16, and a bottom 18, where each side 16 has an upper edge 17.
Together, the sides 16 and bottom 18 form an inner volume 20, such
that the base has an inner surface 21 and an outer surface 22. The
inner volume 20 of the base 14 is typically of a size sufficiently
large to hold one or more samples of relatively small items, such
as those listed above.
[0021] The lid 12 comprises an inner surface 23 and an outer
surface 24. The lid 12 may be relatively flat or may be shaped to
form an inner volume 25. The lid inner volume 25 may be combined
with the base inner volume 20 to provide sufficient space within
the container to enclose a sample item or items, or the entire
space required may be provided by the base inner volume 20. The
inner surfaces 21 and 23 of either or both of the lid 12 and base
14 may be textured, such as, e.g., with dimples and/or bumps that
together or in combination have a shape that corresponds to that of
the one or more sample items, to position the items within the
container 10. In addition, partitions (not shown) may be provided
to divide the one or both of inner volumes 20 and 25 into
compartments.
[0022] In addition, the container 10 may be configured in a form
that is inverted from that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. That is, the
inner surface 21 of the base 14 may be relatively flat, and
configured to secure a sample item, such that, when the lid 12
forms a cover for a sample attached to the base 14. The lid 12 in
such an embodiment opens in the manner of a ring box to reveal a
sample item attached to the base 14.
[0023] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the lid 12 is configured to secure
one or more cards on the outer surface 24 of the lid 12. The
preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a plurality of card
securing members 26 on a surface of the container, more preferably
a surface of the lid, and, most preferably, the outer surface 24 of
the lid 12 to secure an edge or corner of one or more cards to the
container.
[0024] The card securing members 26 and the surface 24 may be of a
single piece, or the members 26 may be affixed to the surface using
an adhesive, a weld, or a threaded fastener. For example, the
members 26 may be the heads of screws or bolts, or may be held in
position by such fasteners.
[0025] The card securing members may also be in the form of a
plurality of slots or grooves in the surface that secure one or
more edges or corners of a card. Useful slots or grooves may be
formed in a surface by any means know in the art, such as by
molding a groove directly into a portion of a plastic container.
For example, for a rectangular card, a pair of parallel groves may
be provided in a surface. One or more cards may be secured by
inserting a corner of a card into each groove, and sliding the card
into the grooves. Alternatively, one edge of the card may be
inserted into a groove, and then, with minor bending, the opposite
edge may be inserted into the opposite groove to secure the
opposite edge. The slots or grooves may be parallel or
perpendicular to the surface, or may be angled to better facilitate
insertion of the card. In an alternate embodiment, a plurality of
slots or grooves configured to accept a corner of a card, may be
provided. A complementary pair of VELCRO.RTM. dots, an adhesive,
preferably one that allows the card to be removed and reattached
without damage, such as that used on Post-it.RTM. Brand products,
or a double sided tape using a similar adhesive may also be used as
card securing member to secure a card to a surface.
[0026] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the card securing members 26 are
formed as a part of the outer surface 24 of the lid 12. As
illustrated, the members 26 and the outer surface 24 define a slot
27 that is configured to accept the corner of a card. With minor
bending, each corner of a card (not shown) may be inserted into one
of the slots 27 under a member 26 to secure the card to the surface
24.
[0027] Preferably, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the outer surface 24
of the lid 12 is formed with a depression 32 having a shape and
size that corresponds to that of the card. For example, for a
business card, the depression preferably has dimensions slightly
larger than a typical card, i.e., about 2.5 cm (about 1 inch) by
about 8.9 cm (about 3.5 inches). However, as cards are not all
rectangular, the present invention contemplates containers
configured to secure any shaped card, and, thus, the depression may
have any required shape.
[0028] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the container 10 of
FIGS. 1 and 2 through a pair of members 26 taken along line 3-3. As
illustrated, container 10 is positioned such that the lid 12 is in
its normal position at the top of the container 10. The depression
32 divides the outer surface 24 of the lid 12 into portions 38 and
39 inside and outside the depression 32, respectively, and, thus,
the inner surface 23 of the lid 12 comprises portions 40 and 41
opposite portions 39 and 38, respectively. As illustrated, but not
necessarily, the depression 32 is sufficiently deep that the
portion 38 of the outer surface 24 within the depression 32 is
lower than the portion 40 of the inner surface 23 opposite the
portion 39 of the outer surface 24 outside the depression. That is,
where the depression 32 is depressed on one surface, the opposite
surface may protrude, i.e., is raised or elevated on the opposite
surface. Therefore, where the depression 32 is on the inner surface
of the lid 12 or base 14 the outer surface may have a raised
portion corresponding to the depression. However, it will be
recognized that a depression in one side of a surface does not
necessarily require a corresponding protrusion of the opposite
side, which may be flat, curved, or have any useful shape.
[0029] As illustrated, the members 26 form a part of that portion
39 of the container 10 outside the depression 32. That is, as
illustrated, the outer portion 36 of each member 26 is part of that
portion 38 of the outer surface 24 outside the depression.
Similarly, the inner portion 37 of each member 26 is a part of that
portion 40 of the inner surface 25 that is opposite that portion 39
of the outer surface 24 outside depression 32. Where the container
12 is formed from a plastic material, the slots 27 and depression
32 can be formed directly during the molding process, which is
preferably an injection molding process. Using injection molding, a
portion of the lower part of the mold preferably contacts the upper
part of the mold, thereby forming the slots 27. That portion 38 of
the outer surface 24 within the depression 32 is preferably
depressed sufficiently during the injection molding process for a
portion of the slots 27 to be substantially even with the inner
portion 38 of the depression 32.
[0030] The lid 12 and the base 14 may be connected by any means
known in the art that allows access to the interior volume 20 of
the base 14. For example, any surface, such as that of the lid, may
comprise a flap or door that covers an opening into the interior of
the container. In a further embodiment, the lid and base may be
configured to allow the lid to slide onto the base to secure items
within the base, and to at least partially slide off to allow
access to the interior of the container. The lid may also be
configured to allow a simple snap fit to the base. Where the lid is
a sliding lid, one or more latches, as described below, may or may
not be used to secure the lid to the base.
[0031] In one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the lid 12 and
base 14 are connected by one or more hinges 34. Hinges of any type
known in the art may be used with the container of the invention.
For example, hinges 34 may be pin type hinges or "living" hinges.
Where a hinge is present between the lid 12 and base 14 on one side
of the container, the container preferably comprises a latch 28 on
the side opposite the hinge 34, where the lid 12 and base 14
comprise complementary portions 29 and 30 of the latch 28,
respectively. Together the complementary portions 29 and 30 of the
latch 28 secure the container 10 in a closed position, but allow
the lid to be opened with finger pressure to provide access to a
sample within the container. In an alternate embodiment, the hinges
34 may be replaced with a latch similar to latch 28. In this
embodiment, releasing each of the latches allows the lid to be
removed by lifting or sliding the lid from the base.
[0032] As discussed above, the size of the container will be
determined by the size of the sample item that will be stored
within the container and by the size of the card or cards secured
to a surface. Therefore, for example, for a business card, at least
one surface of the container, preferably the outer surface of the
lid, has a size greater than about 2.5 cm (about 1 inch) by about
8.8 cm (about 3.5 inches). For relatively small items a container
having dimensions of about 10 cm (about 4.25 inches) long by about
6.4 cm (about 2.5 inches) wide by about 1.3 cm (about 0.5 inch)
high will be sufficient. However, larger dimensions will be
required for larger sample items, and any of the dimensions may be
greater than those provided above. For example, a spark plug will
require a container having a height of at least about 2.5 cm (about
1 inch) and a length of at least about 10 cm (about 4 inches) to
about 13 cm (about 5 inches). Containers of the invention having
larger dimensions may be provided for other, larger objects.
[0033] The containers of this invention may be made of any material
that may be used to form containers, e.g., wood, glass, plastic,
metal, composite materials, combinations thereof, and the like.
Preferably, the container will be a plastic container. Where the
container is intended for use with edible materials, the container
will be formed from a material approved for use with food or other
edible materials. A portion of or all of the container may be
transparent, translucent, or opaque, as desired. Most preferably,
the container will be formed from a clear plastic, allowing the
contents of the container to be visually apparent without opening
the container.
[0034] This invention is not limited by the embodiments disclosed
herein and it will be appreciated that numerous modifications and
embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art. Therefore,
it is intended that the appended claims cover all such
modifications and embodiments that fall within the true spirit and
scope of the present invention.
* * * * *