Nestable Container

Abstract

A nestable container consists of a lower dish-shaped vessel made of sheet material and having a central opening, with another similarly-shaped upper vessel superimposed in lip-to-lip abutment over the lower vessel which also has a central opening. An inwardly hollowed boss covers the opening on the inside of the lower vessel, and a vertically directed screw is attached to the boss, and it extends through the opening in the upper vessel. On the inside of the upper vessel, a boss covers the opening, and it has a central hole through which the screw projects. A nut, having a raised center portion, is screwed on the end of the screw to keep the entire package together for holding nuts, candy, etc., or even screws, nails, and the like. An improved package has a third similar inverted vessel, with the central portion removed, sealed at the edges to the lower vessel, to form an open container. In this case, the first-mentioned inverted container is used as a cover and closing means.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention deals with nestable containers for holding edible goods, such as nuts, candy, and the like, or inedible goods, such as screws, nails, pins, and so forth. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,029,975, a circular holder is disclosed for threads, wires, and the like. It is made of two wheellike vessel portions, fastened together in abutting relation to provide space therebetween for a reellike supply of thread. The central portions of the two vessels are held together by a hollow eyelet. A very similar container for dispensing filamentary material is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,824,709. Such containers are neither nestable nor are they suitable for packaging goods of the type adapted for the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, use is made of two dish-shaped vessels, superimposed in lip-abutting relation, to provide a container. The lower vessel has a small centrally disposed opening over which a hollow boss, carrying a vertically directed screw, is disposed. The upper vessel also has a small central opening through which protrudes the screw, and a raised nut is used over the top of the screw to keep the two vessels together. A projecting boss is provided around the screw on the inside of the upper vessel, so that, either the top vessel, when inverted and inserted under the bottom vessel, or the protruding nut on the top may fit snugly into the bottom boss to permit vertical stacking of the containers, or nesting of the top vessel snugly against the bottom one when the container is opened for use. Another feature involves an additional similarly inverted top vessel portion, with the flat center part removed to provide a large opening, cemented, or otherwise sealed, at its lip to the lip of the lower vessel. In such case, the other previously mentioned top vessel is used as the cover for the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment is described and, in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a top or plan view of an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 presents a bottom view thereof;

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional side view taken along the plane of line 4-4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view, similar to that of FIG. 4, of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 depicts a cross-sectional side view of the unit shown in FIG. 5, but with the cover nested on the bottom thereof; and

FIG. 7 presents a side elevational view of a vertically nested series of containers of the type shown in FIG. 2.

The same numerals refer to the same or similar parts in the various FIGS.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, numeral 10 refers generally to a dish or platter-shaped vessel made of transparent plastic sheet, paper mache, or other suitable material, and having a flat center portion 11, and a concave (or convex) rim 12 having a terminal horizontally extending lip 13. Another dish-shaped vessel 10' is abutted lip-to-lip with vessel 10 to form a closed container, indicated generally as 14.

Bottom vessel 10' has a centrally disposed circular opening 15, over the inside of which, and covering same, is attached a raised hollow boss 16, on the top of which is attached the bottom of vertically directed screw 17. Screw 17 extends upwardly through the center of upper vessel 10. It is to be understood that although parts 16 and 17 may be separate, they may also be molded, or otherwise formed, out of the same material of which vessel 10' is made, in one or more pieces.

Upper vessel 10 also has a centrally disposed circular opening 18. Under hole 18, and covering same, is a hollow boss 19 having central opening 20, through which may project screw 17. A nut 21, having projecting center portion 22, is used to cover hole 18 and to keep vessels 10 and 10' together at juncture 23, when nut 21 is screwed onto the end of screw 17.

It is thus seen that container 14 may be used as a storage vessel for candy, fruits, nuts, or other edible products, or for inedible goods, such as nails, screws, machine parts, and the like. By using a transparent plastic for the vessel material, the contents of the container would be visible at all times, and the contents would be readily accessible to the consumer, once locking element (the nut) 21 is removed, and cover 10 is taken off bottom vessel 10'.

In FIGS. 5--6 is depicted an improved form of the invention wherein the lower platter shaped vessel 10' has cemented, at its peripheral edges 23, a similar inverted platter shaped vessel 10" in which the flat center portion 11 is completely or almost completely cut out to leave a circular opening 24 to allow access into the thus-formed container. The top platter-like vessel 10 is used as a cover for the container. The container, otherwise, is constructed similarly to container 14 in FIG. 4. Since cover 10 is shaped similarly to top vessel portion 10", the cover nests tightly against top 10" and serves as an efficient closure therefor. It will be noted that cover portion 10 in both FIGS. 4 and 5 may be removed and disposed, in inverted nesting condition, under bottom vessel portion 10', thus making it difficult to lose the cover when the container is opened. Boss 19 of the cover fits snugly into opening 15 of boss 16 in bottom portion 10', thereby facilitating the nesting operation. Open vessel portion 10" prevents accidental loss of contents through junction 23 which otherwise might take place in the case of the container shown in FIG. 4. Furthermore, portion 10" increases the capacity of the container when the cover 10 is removed.

Another valuable feature of the present invention is the vertical nesting ability of both containers of FIGS. 4 and 5, as is apparent from FIG. 7. The raised center portion 22 of nut 21 fits snugly into opening 15 in boss 16 of lower vessel 10'. Hence, it is possible to superimpose the containers vertically over each other, and when nut extending portions 22 are properly inserted in openings 15, there is no danger of the containers slipping off or out. This nesting feature also is of value in shipping of the filled containers.

Claims

I claim:

1. A nestable container comprising:

a lower dish-shaped vessel made of sheet material and having a flat center portion, an upwardly curved rim, and a horizontally extending lip, and having a centrally disposed opening;

a first upper similarly-shaped vessel disposed in inverted position in lip-to-lip abutment with said lower-vessel, and having a centrally disposed opening;

an inwardly hollowed boss covering the opening on the inside of said lower vessel;

a screw attached at its bottom to the top of said hollowed boss and extending through said opening in said upper vessel;

a downwardly extending boss covering the opening on the inside of said upper vessel, and having a centrally disposed hole through which said screw protrudes;

a nut having a raised center portion and designed to screw on the top of said screw and to cover the opening on top of said upper vessel; and

said hollowed boss being designed to accommodate either the raised center of said nut or the boss in said upper vessel when the latter is inverted and disposed under said lower vessel.

2. A nestable container, according to claim 1, in which a second inverted similarly dish-shaped vessel, having a large opening in its center portion, is sealed at its lip to the lip of the lower vessel, and said first upper vessel is disposed thereover as a cover for the thus-formed container.

3. A nestable container, according to claim 2, in which said large opening extends over all, or almost all, of the center portion of said vessel.