Display Container

Abstract

A display container is provided with a base receptacle having a pair of canted walls with an undercut to which a flexible cover having flanges is interlocked.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It has become a general marketing practice to display watch straps, pens, pencils and similar items in individual display packages which are frequently hung on wire or peg racks. Inasmuch as the item being packaged is relatively inexpensive it is essential that its package be inexpensive and yet sufficiently strong to enable the manufacturer to ship the article therein without any loss or breakage to the contents. A variety of package designs has been developed through the use of plastic materials. In most instances packages used for containing watch straps and other articles having substantial density to them have been formed by conventional injection molding techniques. Although these packages are relatively inexpensive, they have nevertheless encountered various cost objections. In addition, injection molded plastic containers are relatively brittle when formed with extremely thin walls in an effort to minimize costs. Furthermore, injection molded containers can contribute substantially to the shipping costs in view of their weight which sometimes may approach that of the article therein. Of perhaps more significance is the difficulty in loading and closing low-cost prior art containers formed from light weight plastic materials. These frequently require insertion of the article under elastic tie cords, followed by a difficult end loading technique that requires careful alignment of several package components.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

My invention provides a simple and inexpensive design for a display container which may be formed wholly or partially from light-weight, pressure-formed plastic material. This container uses a cover formed by conventional pressure-forming techniques which is semi-flexible and has a pair of flanges. The base of my container may be also formed from a pressure-formed material or by a conventional injection molding technique if greater rigidity is desired. The base has a pair of side walls which are outwardly bowed or form an obtuse angle with the bottom panel. At the upper edges of the inclined side walls a pair of flanges are provided which are each joined to the side walls with an undercut portion provided there-between. The cover which may be made of a transparent material and formed to approach the overall configuration of the article to be packaged has its pair of flanges flexed against the receptacle's sidewalls and into an interlocking relationship with the undercuts of the receptacle. The package is loaded and assembled by merely placing the article in the receptacle and depressing the cover into its position until its flanges are seated in the undercut portions of the receptacle. Thus, a relatively inexpensive container of light-weight material is provided which may attractively display an article as well as protecting the article.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of my display container;

FIG. 2 is a top view of my display container in its assembled form; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawing my display container comprises a receptacle base 13 and a cover 15. Both of these elements may be formed from self-supporting resilient sheet material such as polystyrene or polypropionate. Conventional thermo-forming techniques may be used to obtain the desired configuration, followed by simple trimming operations. However it is to be understood that at least one of the elements of this container may be formed from a substantially rigid injection molded material.

Referring to the drawing the receptacle base 13 has a bottom panel 16 integrally connected to a retaining wall which in the illustrated embodiment comprises a pair of longitudinal sidewalls 18 and a pair of endwalls 19. Extending from the sidewalls 18 are a pair of horizontal flanges 21 with a somewhat similar pair of flanges 22 extending from the pair of endwalls 19. It is to be noted that a cutout or aperture 23 may be formed in one of the end flanges 22 to provide a means for displaying the container and contents on a peg. Sidewalls 18 have a pair of grooves or undercut portions 24 which extend in the particular embodiment along the full length of the sidewalls and are positioned at the line of connection between the sidewalls and their respective flanges 21. These grooves may also include an upper shoulder 25 which extends slightly into the receptacles cavity.

The cover of my container which may be formed from a transparent material in order to display the goods therein has a pair of resilient and flexible flanges 27 which extend along the full length of the cover and are of a length substantially equal to sidewalls 18 of the receptacle. An appropriate inverted cavity 29 has been provided to embody a watchstrap and a smaller inverted cavity 30 has been provided to contain a pair of watchstrap pins. Flanges 27 on the cover are flexibly connected to the cavity portions whereby they may flex from their normal horizontally molded position to an angle coinciding with the slanted receptacle sidewalls 18. This connection may be obtained by merely providing a creaseline 31 along the portion where the flexing is to occur. The width of flanges 27 approximates the inclined height of the receptacle sidewalls 18. Thus, the cover with its flanges in a horizontal position, attains a width that is greater than the width of the cavity within the receptacle 13 and is captured therein.

A decorative insert 33 which may be formed of paper material can be positioned between the receptacle base and cover with its bottom panel 35 flush to bottom panel 16 and side panels 36 flush to sidewalls 18. In the illustrated embodiment panel 33 is of a length equal to that of the receptacle cavity and of a width equal to the width of the cover. Thus the material is maintained in position by the action of cover flanges 27 against sidewalls 18, sandwiching side panels 36 therebetween. It is also apparent that the decorative panel may formed without side panels 36 whereby it consists of only bottom panel 35 which will still be retained in position without the aid of any adhesive.

In assembling my package the decorative insert may be laid on bottom panel 16 of the receptacle base 13. The items, such as a watch band and pins, can be inserted into their respective cavities in cover 15 while the cover is in an inverted position. Base 15 with decorative insert 33 may then be placed over the cover 15 and with a simple depressing action the cover flanges 27 will be forced downwardly and into the grooves 24 against shoulders 25 on the sidewalls 18. As a result of the creaselines 31 which butt against bottom panel 16 and which tend to cause flanges 27 of the cover to slant upwardly, coupled with the fact that the overall width of the cover is greater than the internal width of the base 15, the cover is securely interlocked with grooves 24. This interlocking effect provides a structurally strong and secure package which will not accidentally disassemble even when relatively heavy items such as ball point pens and mechanical pencils are packaged therein. Inasmuch as the decorative panel 33 has a width that at least equals the width of bottom panel 16 it is retained by the pressing action of cover 15 along its crease lines against base 13.

In order to remove an item from this package one need merely distort a flange 21 away from its groove 24 and lift the cover out. In view of the flexibility of all of the involved components it is apparent that cover 15 is not in any way damaged or destroyed by its removal from receptacle 13 and therefore the package may be disassembled a number of times if so desired. Although the illustrated embodiment relates to a rectangular container it is apparent that the principles of my invention are readily adapted to other shapes such as a circular or triangular package.

Claims

I claim:

1. A plastic container comprising a receptacle and a cover, said receptacle having a bottom panel circumscribed by an inclined retaining wall converging toward said bottom panel and connected therewith, said retaining wall defining a groove on its inner surface spaced above said bottom panel, said cover being formed from an integral flexible sheet material and having a top surface defining at least one inverted cavity with flanges extending therefrom by a crease line forming a flexible connection, said cover flanges being substantially congruent with a portion of said receptacle retaining wall and having their free edges interlocked in said groove and their flexible connection biased against said bottom panel.

2. A container in accordance with claim 1 in which said cover is transparent.

3. A container in accordance with claim 1 in which said groove has an upper shoulder inwardly extending into said receptacle.

4. A container in accordance with claim 3 in which the free edges of said cover flanges butt against an upper shoulder of said groove.

5. A container in accordance with claim 4 in which a decorative sheet insert is retained against said receptacle's bottom panel by said cover's crease lines.

6. A container in accordance with claim 5 in which said receptacle is integral and formed from plastic sheet material.

7. A container in accordance with claim 6 in which said container is rectangular with said receptacle's retaining wall comprising a pair of side components and a pair of end components with said groove being in said side components.

8. A container in accordance with claim 7 in which cover flanges are congruent with said receptacle's sidewalls.