Reusable Package

Abstract

A package comprises a folded-over plastic sheet adhesively secured to a panel. The folded-over sheet comprises an article-carrying member and cover member which are hinged together and interfit in snap fastener fashion. Extensions on the cover may also be adhesively secured to the panel.

Description

This invention relates to a reusable package. More specifically, this invention relates to a mounted, transparent, reusable package which may be ripped off or left on its semi-rigid carrier panel to provide a simple, securely locked, package especially adapted for carrying multiple small articles such as sewing machine needles.

The prior art is replete with transparent packages of every description. One, for example, is U.S. Pat. No. 3,463,309 to Zostek. In the modified version presented in that patent, the package comprises an article-carrying bubble member poked up through a hole in a rigid carrier panel and a hinged cover which closes down on the article-carrying member from the opposite side of the panel. Many structures of the prior art are deficient in that they do not combine easy means for removing a fully transparent, semi-rigid, package from a carrier panel and secure means for locking the package closed after it is once opened. The present invention provides for the lack in the prior art.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following specification including the drawings, all of which refer to a non-limiting form of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation having a portion of the cover panel broken away to expose the article;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken through the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3 but showing the cover in raised position; and

FIG. 5 is a slightly reduced front view showing the package stripped from its carrier panel.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, a mounted package embodying the invention is shown in FIG. 1 and generally designated 10. It comprises a semi-rigid carrying panel which may be a cardboard or the like, and a package 14 comprising a folded-over sheet of formed transparent film material.

The sheet comprises an article-carrying member 16 having a central island 18 which is surrounded by attaching flanges 20 adhesively secured to the panel. The island 18 has side walls 22 extending outwardly and upwardly on all sides around. The top of the island is preferably indented in a large area 24 and carries individual indentations 26 to house at least half of each carried article.

The folded-over portion 30 is integral with the article-carrying member 16 and comprises a cover member. It is formed with a central pocket 32, complementing the island 18 and slightly larger in size. The side walls of the pocket 32 also extend outwardly and upwardly on all sides around with the result that when the folded overportion 30 is hinged down over the article-carrying member 16, the pocket 32 snaps over the island 18 on all sides to form a socket and stud kind of relationship similar to that in a snap fastener. As shown, the top surface of the pocket may be indented in a large area 34 and carry upward domes 36 cooperating with the indentations 26 of the island to house the carried articles.

The flange 20 around the lower island 18 may have outward spaced extensions 38 and the cover member may have an extension 40 staggered with respect to the extensions 38. The cover member may also have upper and lower or lateral extensions 42 which extend beyond the flanges 20 and may themselves be secured by adhesive to the panel 12 when the package is in transport.

In use, the entire folded sheet comprising the article carrier 16 and the cover 30 may be stripped off the panel 12 to provide a transparent package securely closed by the snap-acting cooperating side walls of the island 18 and pocket 32. These members may be readily hinged open by pulling apart the staggered tabs 38 and 40. Alternatively, if desired, the package may be left mounted on the card 12 and the cover opened by simply pulling the extension 40.

The invention may be described in the following claim language.

Claims

I claim:

1. An article comprising:

a. a semi-rigid carrier panel; and

b. an integral article-carrying member and cover member formed of transparent resilient sheet material folded along its center line to define the two said members, the article-carrying member having a raised central island having undercut shores substantially all the way therearound, the island having article-receiving indentations therein, the cover member being formed with a central pocket aligned with and slightly larger than the island and having undercut margins whereby the pocket is adapted to snap over the island to hold the article in place, the distal margin of the cover member having an outwardly extending integral tab and the distal margin of the article-holding member having at least one tab coextensive with but laterally staggered with respect to the tab on the cover member, the underside of the article-holding member and its tab being adhesively secured to the carrier panel and the tab of the cover member being adhesively secured to the carrier panel, the cover member having lateral extensions which extend beyond the lateral edges of the article-carrying member, the extensions being secured to the panel by adhesive,

whereby the cover can be opened by stripping up the tab of the cover member and the entire folded article-carrying member and cover member can be stripped off the panel.