Package and reflector assembly for a light source

Abstract

The invention is a display package-reflector assembly for use with a cylindrical chemiluminescent light generating device. In the display mode of the assembly, the device is protected in a carton which is releasably secured to a display card that incorporates printed information about the light source and instructions concerning use of the assembly in its reflector mode. The display card also has a light reflective surface, and in the reflector mode of the assembly, the carton is fitted through holes formed in the display card, which is thereby bent into a quasi-parabolic reflector with the light reflective surface on the concave side thereof. In use, the light source is mounted in a device holding means on the carton and thereby is held in the focal region of the reflector.

Description

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to a package assembly for a chemiluminescent or chemical light generating device. The assembly has two modes of use, the first being for protecting and displaying the light generating device on sale, and the second being for efficiently reflecting light generated by the device to a point of use.

Chemical light generating or lighting devices of the kind contemplated herein are known and are disclosed in detail, for example, in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,576,987 issued on May 4, 1971 to Voight et al. Such devices emit cold light generated by a chemical reaction between suitable components separately stored in the device. Upon mixture of these components, the light is generated by a chemical reaction of the components. The reaction continues for a period of several hours, at which time the device "burns out". Such devices are made of disposable materials and are preferably cylindrical in shape, with the ratio of cylinder axis length to diameter being several times larger than unity, so that mixture of the separately stored components is facilitated.

It is contemplated that chemical lighting devices of the aforesaid kind can be advantageously used in situations where emergency lighting is required, for example, in the home during a power failure, on a poorly lit road at night when emergency automobile repairs are being made, and the like.

For such purposes a reflector assembly is desirable, and because consumer oriented economics mandate that the cost of the reflector assembly be minimal, and because the device cannot be reused once it is "burned out", ideally the reflector assembly would also be disposable.

Furthermore, chemical lighting devices of the kind referred to are but recently introduced to the market place. Accordingly, the ultimate consumer must be educated in the use of such devices; the present invention contemplates that sufficient instructional material can be incorporated with or printed on the packaging material used to market these lighting devices.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a novel light and reflector packaging assembly for a chemiluminescent light generating device or source of the kind identified, said assembly serving to display that product, to instruct the ultimate consumer in the use thereof, and to furnish components of a disposable reflector to be assembled by the ultimate consumer for use with said light source.

In accordance with the invention, a chemiluminescent light and reflector assembly package for use in displaying a chemiluminescent light generating device for sale and for reflecting light developed by said device in operation comprises a flexible sheet having a light reflective portion on at least one surface thereof, a receptacle member releasably adhered to the sheet and a chemiluminescent light generating device disposed within the receptacle member, the package being rearrangeable to an illuminating assembly wherein the receptacle member engages the sheet to maintain the latter in a curved reflector configuration with the light reflective portion on the concave side thereof, and wherein the chemiluminescent device is held by the receptacle member in a light projecting position relative to the light reflective portion of the sheet.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the assembly package of the present invention, in its product-display mode;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the assembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the carton and chemical lighting device of the assembly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the components of the assembly package of the present invention, illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, in its reflector mode;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken essentially on line 5--5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken essentially on line 6--6 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-Sectional view taken essentially on line 7--7 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the assembly package of the present invention, in its product-display mode; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another embodiment of carton means for the assembly package of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the Figures, there are shown exploded perspective views of the various components, (FIGS. 2, 3) of one embodiment of an assembly package, (FIG. 1) constructed in accordance with the present invention. These components, as assembled by the manufacturer for shipment to a marketing outlet, are in the form of a unitary package, (FIG. 1), generally indicated at 10, referred to herein as the product-display or display mode of the assembly package. The same components when properly rearranged by the ultimate consumer of the light source, form an illuminating assembly generally indicated at 11, (FIG. 4) for the chemical lighting device 12, referred to herein as the reflector mode of the assembly package.

With reference to FIGS. 3, 6, the chemical lighting device 12 is of elongated cylindrical shape, and has a body portion 13, an end cap 14 and a base 15 from which protrudes a tapered tongue 16. A hole 16a is formed in the tongue so that, if desired, several devices can be strung together for use independently of the illuminating assemblies. The body portion 13, cap 14 and base 15 are extruded from light transmissive plastic, for example, polyethylene.

As set forth in more detail in the above identified patent, the chemical compounds for producing chemiluminescent light are separately stored and sealed within the body portion 13. In one form of the lighting device, one chemical compound is contained within a small glass capsule 17, (FIG. 6) which is emersed in the remaining required compound or compounds. The size of the capsule 17 is determined generally by the amount of compound contained therein. To activate the lighting device, the body portion 13 is flexed to a degree sufficient to break the glass capsule 17, and then shaken to mix the compounds, which chemically react to generate chemiluminescent light which is transmitted primarily through the body portion 13, and to a lesser extent through cap 14 and base 15 of the device. It is of course to be understood that the chemical lighting device, its construction and operation, per se, are known.

During manufacture of the assembly package identified generally as 10, the lighting device 12 is wrapped in aluminum foil 12a, (shown only in FIG. 3) plasticized foil, or other known wrapping material, disposed, and protected within a receptacle member or suitable protective container, shown as a carton means 18 which can be a conventional full-overlap seal-end carton, a partial overlap seal-end carton or a tuck-end carton. As illustrated, the container or carton 18 is rectangular in shape, although it is contemplated that other elongated receptacle member configurations may be used. The carton 18 is pre-scored on one side thereof, (indicated at 19 in FIGS. 1, 2) and slotted on the other side, (indicated at 20, 20a in FIG. 3), the pre-scored portion 19 and slots 20, 20a being aligned and of size sufficient to serve as a device holder or holding means for the base 15 and tongue 16, respectively of the lighting device 12, for the purpose more fully described below. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the device holding means formed in carton 18 can be proportioned for receiving the end cap 14 of the device 12, instead of the base end; in this case, a pre-scored portion like 19, for example, could be provided in place of slots 20, 20a, to receive the end cap 14 of the device, or the slots 20, 20a omitted, without any thing being substituted therefor.

The assembly package 10 additionally includes a flexible sheet having a light reflective portion on at least one surface thereof; as illustrated, the sheet can be a display board or display card means 21, one side 22, (FIGS. 1, 2), of which has advertising materials and instructions for use printed thereon and the other side 23, (FIGS. 4, 7), of which has a light reflective surface. As illustrated, (FIGS. 4, 7) the display card 21, which is to be used in an illuminating assembly 11 as a light reflecting element for the device 12, has one dimension, (indicated as "L" in FIG. 7), which preferably is substantially equal to the length of the lighting device 12. It is to be equal to the length of the lighting device 12. It is to be understood that for efficient reflection, the dimension "L" is related to the light reflective portion of the flexible sheet or display board 21 and should be at least equal to the length of the lighting device 12. That dimension "L" can be larger, but the improvement in brightness gained by an significant increase in the dimension "L" is negligible. On the other hand, any significant decrease in the dimension "L" adversely affects the desired light distribution, because a significant amount of light is radiated past the light reflecting element, and is not focussed thereby in the desired manner.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the flexible sheet is reinforced and is made from rolls of heavy paper and aluminum foil, which are laminated together and cut into sheets of printing press size. The sheets are printed on the non-foil side and cut to display card sheet size. During the cutting operation, a plurality of spaced mounting hole forming portions, for example, die cut scored portions 24, 25 are formed on the display card 21, for the purpose more fully described below. Alternatively, the areas 24, 25 can be punched out of the sheets during cutting thereof into the display card sheet size.

Then, an individual lighting device 12 is disposed in its respective receptacle member, carton 18, and the carton releasably affixed, for example, by adhesive, to a display card 21 to form a unitary package, the product-display mode 10 of the assembly package.

The assembly package is rearrangeable by the ultimate consumer who uses the assembly package in its illuminating assembly or reflector mode 11. The consumer releases the carton 18 from the display card 21, removes the lighting device 12 from the carton and activates the device. He punches out the scored portions 24, 25 from the display card 21, (if corresponding holes are not cut therein during manufacture) and inserts the carton 18 into the holes formed by removing the scored portions 24, 25 of the display card 21, in such manner that the display card 21 is curved about an axis "F", (FIGS. 4, 7) into a reflector configuration with the light reflective surface 23 symetrically disposed on the concave side thereof, and the mounting hole forming portions 24, 25 disposed at opposite sides of the axis "F". To effect insertion, the display card 21 is preferably curved around the axis "F" into a substantially parabolic or quasi-parabolic surface, as best shown in FIG. 4. As is illustrated in the drawings, (FIGS. 2, 4, 7) the size of the carton mounting holes or openings 24, 25 in the display card 21 is substantially the same as the size of the cross-section of the ends of carton 18; proper orientation of the carton 18 places the pre-scored portion 19 of the light generating device holder higher up in the concave reflector region than the slots 20, 20a thereof.

The base 15 of the lighting device 12 is inserted through the scored portion 19 and slot 20, or slot 20a, (FIGS. 2, 3) of the carton 18 with the tongue 16 of the base 15 extending through the slot 20, or the slot 20a. (As illustrated in the drawings, the tongue 16 extends through slot 20; rotation of the device 12 through 180.degree. around its longitudinal axis enables use of slot 20a instead of 20.) The size of the carton 18 and display card 21 and the location of the scored portions 24, 25 in the latter and scored portion 19 and slots 20, 20a in the former are pre-selected so that when the carton 18 is inserted into the display card 21, (as shown in FIGS. 4, 7) and the lighting device 12 mounted on the carton 18, in the device holder means thereof, a spatial orientation is imparted to the lighting device 12 thereby locating it in a light projecting position relative to the light reflective portion 23 of the display card 21, preferably at the focal region of the quasi-parabolic reflector surface 23 of the display card. (Alternatively, the end cap 14 of device 12 can be seated in the pre-scored portion 19 of carton 18, to rest against the carton side which incorporates slots 20, 20a. It is to be understood that slots 20, 20a can be omitted, and replaced by a second pre-scored portion like 19, to receive the end cap 14 of device 12.) This orientation increases the amount of light focussed at a given direction and distance by from about 3 to 5 times as compared to the amount of light obtained from the device at a given direction and distance in the absence of the illuminating assembly 11. Further increases in light focussed at a given direction and distance can be obtained by providing additional reflector surface in the region adjacent to the end cap 14. Such additional reflector surface (not illustrated) can be any one or more of the conventional conic sections, provided for example in the form of reflective material auxiliary to the display card 21 or reflective material 12a wrapped around or shipped with the lighting device 12 in carton 18.

We have found that a parabolic or quasi-parabolic reflecting surface is the optimum conic section or shape for use in focussing light radiated from the elongated chemiluminescent device. However, it is to be understood that adequate light reflection can be obtained if the display card is bent for example into a cylindrical shape, although in this event, the chemical lighting device will no longer lie along a clearly definable reflector focal region.

It will be appreciated that as full a description of the aforesaid manipulative procedures to be carried out by the ultimate consumer, as is required or desirable, can be printed on the display card 21 surface 22.

Furthermore, referring to FIG. 8, it will be understood that the display card 21 can be manufactured by conventional techniques as a "fifth panel" 21a of carton 18. The line 26 where the "fifth panel" 21a joins the carton 18 is preferably scored or perforated to facilitate separation of the carton 18 and display card.

In addition, referring to FIG. 9, other equivalent arrangements of display card 21 and carton 18 in the illuminating assembly or reflector mode of the assembly package can be provided, for example instead of inserting the receptacle member or carton 18 into mounting holes on display card 21, die cuts 27 of suitable size can be formed in the carton 18 to serve as pre-selected mounting locations for the display card 21, which when inserted into the die cuts is curved about the axis F with its light reflective portion symetrically disposed on the concave side thereof.

Moreover, provision of a reflector surface by means of a display card can be omitted, and in its place, a plasticized aluminum foil of appropriate dimensions is wrapped around the lighting device prior to sealing it in carton 18. The ultimate consumer then mounts this foil on the carton, or inserts the carton through pre-cut portions of the plasticized aluminum foil in such manner as to form a curved reflector surface of the shape described above with reference to FIG. 4. Sufficient instructions as to use in this instance preferably can be printed on one side of the plasticized foil and on the carton 18.

Thus, as set forth above in detail, a simple, inexpensive and novel assembly package for a chemiluminescent light generating device which serves in one mode as a means for displaying the device on sale and in another as an efficient inexpensive illuminating or reflector assembly for that source in use, is disclosed in various embodiments.

It is to be understood that, while specific embodiments of the invention have been described as shown in the Figures, variations in structural detail within the scope of the appended claims are possible and are contemplated. There is no intention, therefore, of limitation to the exact abstract of disclosure or the specific embodiments described.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A reflector assembly package for projecting light developed by a chemiluminescent light generating device comprising a flexible sheet having a light reflective portion on at least one surface thereof; a receptacle member releasably adhered to said sheet; a chemiluminescent light generating device disposed within said receptacle member; means for interengaging said sheet and said receptacle member upon removal of said member from said sheet, and distortion of said sheet into position to define a concave surface from said light reflective portion on said sheet; and means for mounting said device on said receptacle member in a light projecting position relative to said light reflective portion on said sheet.

2. A reflector assembly package for projecting light developed by a chemiluminescent light generating device comprising a flexible sheet having a light reflective portion on at least one surface thereof; and elongated receptacle member releasably adhered to said sheet, and having holder means intermediate its end for mounting the next mentioned light generating device in a light projecting position; a chemiluminescent light generating device disposed within said receptacle; and means providing a plurality of spaced mounting hole forming portions on said sheet; said package being rearrangeable after said receptacle member is released from said sheet, and said device removed therefrom, to an illuminating reflector assembly, upon distortion of said sheet into position to define a concave surface from said light reflective portion on said sheet, disposition of the respective ends of said receptacle member in said mounting holes, and placement of said light generating device in said holder means in a light projecting position relative to said light reflective portion of said sheet.

3. A disposable package assembly for projecting light developed by a chemiluminescent light generating device comprising carton means for enclosing said device and having device holding means formed therein intermediate its ends; display card means releasably secured to said carton means, said card means having a light reflective portion on at least one surface thereof; the combination being so constructed and arranged that after said carton means is separated from said card means, and said device is mounted in said holding means, said carton means and said card means are interengaged thereby shaping said reflective portion of said card means into a quasi-parabolic reflector symmetrically disposed about said carton means.

4. A disposable package assembly according to claim 3 wherein said display card means has die cut scored portions which, upon removal thereof, furnish openings in said display card means into which the ends of said carton means can be inserted, the dimensions of said carton means and card means, and the locations of said scored portions, being so selected with respect to each other that said card means is deformed into a quasi-parabolic surface with said light reflective portion on the concave side thereof, when the ends of said carton means are inserted into said openings.

5. A disposable package assembly according to claim 3 wherein said carton means additionally is provided with preformed slots for receiving and holding said display card means, the location of said slots and the dimensions of the reflective portion of said display card means being so selected with respect to each other, that said display card means is deformed into a quasi-parabolic surface, with said light reflective portion on the concave side thereof, when said display card means is inserted into said slots.

6. A disposable package assembly according to claim 4 wherein said display card means is a fifth panel of said carton means and further wherein said fifth panel is perforated to facilitate removal thereof from said carton means.

7. A disposable package assembly according to claim 5 wherein said display card means is a fifth panel of said carton means and further wherein said fifth panel is perforated to facilitate removal thereof from said carton means.

8. A disposable package assembly according to claim 4 wherein said carton means is adhesively secured to said display card means.

9. A support for reflecting light from an elongated luminescent article comprising:

a. a support panel having at least one reflective surface;

b. a pair of spaced apertures in said support panel arranged to be moved into generally confronting and spaced relationship upon distortion of said support panel into position to define a concave reflecting surface;

c. an elongated receptacle for a self-energizable luminescent elongated article adapted upon removal of said article therefrom to be supported by said spaced apertures when disposed in such confronting relationship;

d. structure associated with said elongated receptacle for supporting said luminescent article thereon and relative to said concave reflecting surface for reflection of the light from said luminescent article.

10. A package for display of a self-energizable luminescent elongated article comprising:

a support panel having at least one reflective surface;

an elongated receptacle enclosing said luminescent article and secured to said support panel;

a pair of spaced apertures provided in said panel arranged to be moved into generally confronting and spaced relationship upon distortion of said panel into position to define a concave reflecting surface;

said spaced apertures supporting said elongated receptacle after removal therefrom of said elongated luminescent article and after distortion of said panel into said concave position; and

structure associated with said elongated receptacle for supporting said luminescent article in position relative to said concave reflecting surface for reflection of the light from said luminescent article.