Package For Disposal Of Chewing Gum

Abstract

A combination package for supplying tissue to wrap chewed gum in and to hold the wrapped gum has a front middle compartment to hold the supply of tissues and a rear middle passageway leading from a top disposal opening down to a lower storage receptacle, the parts being separable for cleansing purposes.

Description

This invention relates to a combination package for holding tissue paper which is to be used to wrap up and enclose gum which has been chewed and which the user wishes to dispose of. In addition, the package provides a storage receptacle or container into which the wrapped gum is to be deposited.

The combimation package of the invention will satisfy a universal need in restaurants and like dining areas, which has plagued their owners for a long time. Many persons enter the eating room at the time that they are chewing gum and when the food is supplied to them they must either swallow it or dispose of it. Unfortunately, too many patrons dispose of the chewed gum by sticking it to the underside of the table or chair. It is generally conceded that this is a very distasteful practice.

Another person who is pulling his chair up to the table may feel the gum and receive an unpleasant reaction. The gum may become loose and fall to the floor where it is stepped on and spread around. Its removal is very difficult.

Combination packages of this general type have been devised in the past but they have either been expensive to manufacture, they have been unsightly or difficult to use, or they have been diffucult to keep in a sterilized condition. Also, it has not been easy to refill them with replacement tissues.

The combination package of the present invention eliminates these several problems as it provides ready access to a sheet of tissue paper and it provides an obvious opening to receive the wrapped gum. The discarded gum is completely out of sight and, moreover, if the package is tipped over there is little likelihood that its contents will be spilled. The attractive appearance of the combination package means that it serves both as a table decoration and as an invitation to the gum chewer to use it. It is readily emptied by an attendant who empties the ash tray.

The package can be made of a variety of materials but metal and preferably stainless steel is preferred as it will last a long time and it can be sterilized in boiling water or with germicidal chemicals. Plastics can be used as the package can be cheaply manufactured by molding it. Or, stiff cardboard may be used to make the cheapest article if it is intended to be discarded after a short use.

Representative packages are shown in the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 -- 2 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 -- 3 of FIG. 1, showing in broken lines the tissues and their packet,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 -- 4 of FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of a representative corner joint,

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modification and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another modification.

Generally considered, the package is made up of three separable parts, namely, a bottom casing 10, a middle casing 11, and a cover plate 12. They interfit or nest together to constitute the package unit and although they are separable they should mesh snugly together so that they resist accidental displacement. Accidentallly knocking it over should not cause displacement of its parts.

The bottom casing is made up of a base plate or bottom wall 13 and vertical enclosing walls which are here shown as the four connected walls 14a, b, c, and d. The front or forward wall 14d is attached to the side wall 14a and one convenient manner of doing this is shown in FIG. 5 which shows that one edge is beveled and solder 15 fill the provided space. This same manner of attachment may be used to attach the vertical walls to the base plate but any convenient attachment means may be utilized.

The upper casing 11 includes enclosing vertical side walls here shown as the four connected walls 15a, b, c and d. Their meeting edges may be joined as shown in FIG. 5. It will be noted that the opposite side walls 15a and 15c are longer than the walls 14a and 14c with the result that the forward portion of the walls 15a and 15c project beyond and overhang the underlieing casing 10. Inside of the middle casing 11 is a vertical transverse partition 16 which is so located that it descends slightly down into the lower casing 10 and lies against the inner face of wall 14d.

The rear wall 14b is inwardly and downwardly turned at its lower edge as shown at 17b to lie against the top part of the inner face of wall 14b as is shown in FIG. 3. The rearward portions of side walls 15a and 15c are similarly inwardly turned as shown at 17a and 17c to lie against the inner faces of walls 14a and 14c. This face-to-face contact serves to provide a frictional fit and hold the casings 10 and 11 in an assembled relationship. The fit should be snug enough to resist separation even if the package falls over.

The partition 16 divides the middle casing 11 into a rearward section and a forward section. The rearward section lies directly over the lower casing 10 and serves as a passageway down into it as will be explained. The forward section of casing 11 overhangs the front face of the lower casing 10 as is apparent from FIG. 3. This figure also shows that at the lower end of this overhanging, forward section there is a horizontal plate 18 having a central hole 19 therethrough. The plate 18 may be held in place by the attachment means shown in FIG. 5 or by any other suitable attachment means.

The forward, overhanging section provides a compartment to receive a packet 21 of tissue sheets 22. As this packet is not a part of the invention it is shown in broken lines but it is of fairly general construction. The tissues are folded in a conventional interleaved manner so that withdrawal of the one which is hanging through the opening 19 will pull down the next tissue so that it can be grasped with the fingers.

To facilitate removal of the empty packet 21 the upper edge of partition 16 is cut away at 23 to provide a finger space. This is a convenience and is not essential.

The cover plate 12 is large enough to cover or overlie the entire top of the middle casing 11. It is made up of a sheet 24 and to hold it in place it is formed with a peripheral depending flange 25 which fits over the top edge of the wall 15. This should be a snug, frictional fit so that their separation is resisted.

In the plate 24 is a hole 26 which overlies the rearward section of the middle casing 11 so that wrapped chewing gum deposited in the hole 26 will descend through the passageway mentioned above and go down in the bottom casing 10. The portion of the top sheet 24 which is punched out to form the hole 26 may be turned down as is shown in FIG. 3 to lie against the partition 16. This is not essential as the entire material for the hole may be removed but it has the advantage of serving to overlie and seal off the finger opening 23 to make sure that no wrapped gum can touch the packet 21.

A feature which may or may not be provided is the deflecting plate 29 which extends away from the partition 16 and partially across the passageway. It is slanted downwardly to deflect the wrapped gum in its downward movement, but not hold it. The deflector 29 obscures the wrapped gum which is in the bottom casing if a person looks down in the hole 26. It also prevents ready removal of the gum if a person turns the package upside down.

In use, a patron merely reaches under the overhanging section, takes hold of the hanging tissue with his fingers and withdraws it. After wrapping the gum in the tissue it is deposited in the top opening 26. This entire act is easier than sticking the gum under the table or chair.

To empty the lower casing 10 it is separated from the middle casing and this does not disturb or in any way contaminate the tissues 22. The lower casing 10 can then be sterilized in any desired manner, without having to remove the packet 21. The cover plate 12 does not have to be removed.

The modification of FIG. 6 presents a more attractive appearance than the package of FIG. 1 but it may be more expensive to manufacture it. The forward wall 30d (which corresponds to the wall 14d) is of generally cylindrical shape so that it curves downwardly and forwardly to the base or bottom plate. The side walls 30a and 30c (not shown but corresponding to the side wall 14c) are correspondingly curved to fit against the curved wall 30d. This provides an enlarged storage space in the casing 10 and does not impede access to the tissue which is available under the overhang. The protruding plate 13 of FIG. 1 is covered up and this results in a more attractive appearance.

In the modification of FIG. 7 the lower casing is as large as the middle casing so that there is no overhanging portion of the middle casing. Thus, the lower casing 32 and the middle casing 33 have the same forward to backward depth so that all vertical outer surfaces are substantially flush. In FIG. 1 the bottom casing 10 has less depth than the middle casing 11 and this provides the overhanging section.

The middle casing 33 is substantially identical to casing 11 except that the entire lower edge of casing 33 fits within the upper end of casing 32. Also, the access opening 34 to the tissues is on the front face of casing 33 since there is no overhanging section. Functionally, the package of FIG. 7 is used by a patron in the same manner that the previously described composite packages are used. It is emptied and sterilized in the same manner.

Preferably, the tissues are about the size of the familiar cigarette paper which is used to hand roll cigarettes. This gives a general idea of the overall size and appearance of the combination package. Consequently, the package takes up very little of the dining area space but it nevertheless suggests to patrons that it provides an easy way to dispose of chewed gum.

While the package has been described with special reference to its use in restaurants and like dining areas it will be useful in ice cream parlors, soda fountain counters and also in the home.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A package for holding tissue in which gum is to be wrapped and also holding gum which has been wrapped in the tissue, which comprises a lower casing having a bottom wall, side walls and an open top, said lower casing serving as a storage repeptacle for gum which has been wrapped in tissue, a middle casing having side walls and also a transverse vertical partition dividing the middle casing interior into a rearward section and a forward section, and a top plate which covers the entire middle casing and has an opening therein disposed over said rearward section, said rearward section being open at its top and at its bottom to serve as a passageway from said opening down to said lower casing, said forward section serving as a compartment for receiving a package of tissues and retaining it therein, and said forward section having an access opening for withdrawal of tissue therethrough.

2. The package according to claim 1 in which said lower casing has less depth than said middle casing so that said forward section overhangs said lower casing, and said access opening is on the underside of said overhanging forward section.

3. The package according to claim 1 in which said lower casing has the same depth as said middle casing so that their side walls are substantially flush, and said access opening is on the front side of said forward section.

4. The package according to claim 1 in which said top plate has a peripheral depending flange which snugly fits over the top edge of said middle casing to resist its displacement.

5. The package according to claim 1 in which said lower casing and said middle casing have interfitting means to resist their displacement.

6. The package according to claim 1 in which the front wall of the lower casing curves downwardly and forwardly beneath the overhanging section.

7. The package according to claim 1 in which a downwardly sloping deflector plate extends partially into said passageway.

8. The package according to claim 1 in which the top of said partition is notched to provide finger access to a tissue container.

9. The package according to claim 1 in which the top of said partition is notched and the notch is overlaid by a downwardly turned portion of the top plate.

10. The package according to claim 1 in which the material is stainless steel.