U.S. patent number 3,814,236 [Application Number 05/282,512] was granted by the patent office on 1974-06-04 for dispensing container.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Baxter Laboratories Inc.. Invention is credited to Michael R. Keilman.
United States Patent |
3,814,236 |
Keilman |
June 4, 1974 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
DISPENSING CONTAINER
Abstract
The present application discloses a dispensing container for
supporting therein a tray providing structure for supporting a
plurality of elongated bands. The container includes a dispensing
opening through which one-by-one the bands may be removed.
Inventors: |
Keilman; Michael R. (Algonquin,
IL) |
Assignee: |
Baxter Laboratories Inc.
(Morton Grove, IL)
|
Family
ID: |
23081836 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/282,512 |
Filed: |
August 21, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/338; 206/442;
206/564; 229/237; 229/242 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
5/725 (20130101); B65D 1/36 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
5/72 (20060101); B65D 1/34 (20060101); B65D
1/36 (20060101); B65d 001/36 () |
Field of
Search: |
;206/45.11,45.12,45.14,45.19,46H,56AC,65F,72
;229/9-11,17R,19-20,51TS ;248/152,176,371 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Price; William I.
Assistant Examiner: Lipman; Steven E.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Kinney; Richard G. Smith, Jr.;
Samuel B.
Claims
Having described the invention, I claim:
1. In combination:
at least a first, second and third strip-like article each of which
has a grasping portion and a thin strip extending therefrom and
a package for said articles, said package comprising:
at least an elongated rack member, said rack member having an upper
surface and a lower surface and including at least a first, a
second and a third receiving portion sequentially spaced
longitudinally along the upper surface of the rack, said receiving
portions being adapted to receive an end portion of one of said
articles;
and wherein:
said first article has its end portion received in said first
receiving portion with its strip portion extended longitudinally
along the upper surface of said rack to overlay said second and
third receiving portions;
said second article has its end portion received in said second
receiving portion to overlay the strip portion of said first
article and said second article has its strip portion also extended
longitudinally along the upper surface of said rack overlaying said
third receiving portion and at least a portion of the strip portion
of said second article; and
said third article has its end portion received in said third
receiving portion to overlay thereat the strip portions of said
second and first articles and said third article has its strip
portion extending longitudinally along the rack to overlay at least
in part the strip portions of said second and third articles,
whereby said articles are compactly packed together in layers but
said articles may be easily removed one at a time without
substantially disturbing an adjacent article.
2. The invention of claim 1, wherein the overlayed strip portions
of the articles are folded around the transverse end of the rack
member to also lie longitudinally along the lower surface of the
rack member.
3. The invention of claim 2, wherein each of said articles include
a clasp at said end portion, and said rack member includes, at each
receiving portion, means for detenting a received clasp
so that the clasp is prevented from movement and any underlying
strip portions are releasably captivated therein.
4. The invention of claim 3 wherein
said package also includes an outer cover surrounding both said
rack member and said articles; and
said rack member is made of plastic and includes a pair of
longitudinal side walls which extend upward to provide a channel
extending over the height of the clasps and downward to provide a
channel to receive the folded-over strip portions.
5. The invention of claim 3 wherein said receiving portions on said
rack member are adjacent to one another and are formed with raised
edge portions such that the strip portion of at least some of said
articles lie over raised edge portions as well as being under the
detented clasps of certain adjacent articles.
Description
The present invention relates to an improvement in packaging
systems. The invention particularly relates to a system including a
packing sleeve and a tray member received by the sleeve for
supporting in confined relation a number of articles to be
dispensed. The sleeve may have an opening for dispensing
individually the articles supported by the tray.
Packages and packaging systems are known which function to support
and dispense articles of many types. In fact, paperboard containers
are available and are being used in increasing quantities for the
packaging of a host of items. However the prior art, as far as is
known, does not provide a suitable type package or container with
an internal support member upon which may be disposed a plurality
of elongated band-type articles and which may be dispensed
individually.
The present invention serves to fill this need in packaging
systems, and according to a first aspect provides a package or
container which may be fabricated from a blank of paperboard or
other material suitable for such fabrication. A member capable of
supporting articles for removal is received by the container. The
support member is formed such that the articles are disposed in
somewhat stacked overlapping relation whereby the articles may be
removed individually. The container may provide an opening
initially closed by a removable tab through which the articles may
be removed.
As a further aspect of the present invention, the support member
may be provided with a plurality of flat individual surfaces which
are inclined to the axis of the support. Each surface serves to
support a portion of the elongated article which may be a clip or
fastener of a band. The band length extends toward one end of the
member. Bands of substantial length may be passed around the end of
the member thereby to reside between the support and the container
inner wall surface. Each flat surface and the side walls of the
member include a plurality of abutments or projections. These serve
to somewhat immobilize the article as supported. The article may,
however, be dispensed in the fashion outlined above.
As an additional aspect of the present invention, the container may
be provided with indicia or a suitable color code. The color code
may be incorporated on the blank during manufacture or else may be
in the form of an adhesive strip for application to the container.
For example, the strip may be affixed to an end flap. Color coding
may be desired particularly if the packaged article is to be
dispensed only on a particular day. In this connection a plurality
of colors are selected each of which arbitrarily designates a
particular day. The article will be similarly coded to match the
container.
There has thus been outlined rather broadly the more important
features of the invention in order that the detailed description
thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that
the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.
There are, of course, additional features of the invention that
will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of
the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will
appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based
may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other
devices for carrying out the several purposes of the invention. It
is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including
such equivalent constructions as do not depart from the spirit and
scope of the invention.
Specific embodiments of the invention have been chosen for the
purpose of illustration and description and are shown in the
accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification
wherein:
FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of the dispensing sleeve and the
support tray member partially received therein;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the tray member and a plurality of
supported articles;
FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the tray member of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a view in section as seen along the line 4--4 in FIG. 3;
and
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the unformed sleeve blank.
The packaging assembly 10 may be seen to best advantage in FIG. 1.
The assembly includes a sleeve member 12 and a rack or tray member
14 which is slidably received in the sleeve.
The sleeve may be formed as a molded item or of paperboard material
from a flat blank 16, as is seen in FIG. 5. Any particular board
material which may be first stamped to the pattern of the Figure
and thereafter folded to form a sleeve or container may be used.
One necessary characteristic, however, is that the material be
sufficiently sturdy to support itself and the internal contents
including the member 14. A blank formed of solid bleached sulfate,
either regular or low density, or clay coated newsback may be used.
The paperboard material may be of a thickness of from 0.014 to
0.024 points. However, the preferred thickness is 0.016 points and
the preferred paperboard material is solid bleached sulfate. Either
low or regular density solid bleached sulfate may be used.
The stamped blank is provided with a plurality of score lines 18,
20, 22 and 24 thereby to define a pair of opposed side panels 24
and 26, a top panel 28 and a bottom panel 30. A side seam flap 32
is provided for forming the sleeve or container. The blank is
provided at each end with additional scoring 34 and 36. The manner
and technique of scoring is carried out in accordance with
conventional practices.
A dispensing opening 38 is formed in the top panel. Preferably the
opening of both ends is die cut with the cut joined by parallel
lengths of scoring. A finger opening 40 permits the user to grasp
the closure 42 whereupon a slight pulling force will enable its
removal, opening the container for article removal.
The container is fabricated in a manner as should be apparent. The
panels and end tabs are folded about the respective score lines.
The integrity of the sleeve is established by adhesively or
otherwise securing the side seam 32 to the side panel 24. The
closure flaps 44 and 46 are received by the end tabs to close
completely the sleeve or container. A further flap 47 is formed at
one end. This flap may be utilized for color coding.
As noted, the tabs formed at the ends of the side panels are
provided with an inclined edge. The edges are suitably formed to
facilitate receipt of the flap between the inner surface of the
respective top and bottom panels and the tabs themselves.
The rack or tray member 14 may be seen to best advantage in FIGS.
2-4. The tray is preferably formed of plastic. Suitable plastics
include high impact polystyrene, polyvinylchloride or any other
thermo-formable plastic material. High impact polystyrene is
preferred.
The rack includes a pair of spaced side walls 48 and 50, an end
wall 52 and a channel area 54. Each of the walls is hollow (see
FIGS. 3 and 4).
The base of the channel area throughout a major portion of the
length of the tray is stepped so as to include a plurality of flats
56. The remainder of the length of the base of the channel area
forming an extension of the last flat comprises an inclined ramp 58
which terminates in an end shoulder or edge 60. Each flat is
provided with a central dimple 62. A pair of upstanding abutments
64 are disposed at opposed sides of the flat removed from the end
52. The abutments are preferably molded in the side walls. Means
for detenting a portion of an article are provided, which means
includes a projection 66 spaced from the flat molded in one side
wall.
The particular packaging system which has been described may
contain and dispense individually one of a plurality of band
members having a clip or clasp which serves as a grasping portion
in removing the article. This clasp or clip arrangement is at one
end thereof. Such a band may be used for a host of purposes such as
identification of patients in a hospital environment.
The Figures illustrate the packaging of an article of this type.
More particularly, individual clips 68 are disposed on the
individual flats 56 from the open end to the closed end. Provision
may be made for the support of any number of clips and their
associated band length which is passed around the shoulder 60 to
the underside of the tray. The projections 64 secure each clip
against movement toward the open end while each projection 66
prevents rotation of the clip in one direction. Rotation in the
other direction is prevented by the underside of the closure 42
which prior to removal interacts with dip portion 72. The dimple 62
will provide a well into which a rivet or other means used to
attach the band with the clip is received.
The individual articles may be dispensed after removal of the
closure tab 42, one article at a time from left to right (FIG.
3).
It is contemplated that other forms of packaging could also be
employed to support and dispense like articles. To this end the
tray 14 could be enclosed with a flat lid thereby to obviate the
need for the sleeve. Appropriately the rack or tray 14 would be
closed at both ends in a manner as is end 52 (FIG. 2) and for
strength the walls rather than being of hollow construction will
then be solid. Preferably the construction of the tray will be in
the form of a tub. A flat lid will be heat sealed to the surface 74
which in the embodiment frames all four sides of the open central
area. As apparent, the surface will extend outwardly on each side
of the area.
A further form contemplates a tray or rack as in the preceding
paragraph which may be closed by a sliding lid. To this end the
tray may be formed to present a flat frame surrounding the central
area on at least the opposed elongated sides. The slide along these
opposed sides may have an edge doubled under the surface to form a
track for sliding over the flat frame. To prevent the slide from
moving past a closing position an end may also provide a frame
portion to interact with a further doubled under edge.
Other modifications and forms will readily become apparent.
* * * * *