WO1997005354A1

WO1997005354A1 - Theftproof container

Info

Publication number: WO1997005354A1
Application number: PCT/NL1996/000301
Authority: WO
Inventors: Berend Aleid Rinke Hulsegge; Harriet Monique Louise Hulsegge
Original assignee: Hulsegge International B.V.
Priority date: 1995-07-31
Filing date: 1996-07-25
Publication date: 1997-02-13
Also published as: NL1000905C2; AU6534996A

Abstract

Theftproof container, consisting of a base part and a box-shaped part which can be brought into engagement therewith. The box-shaped part and the base are provided with interacting locking means. Moreover, interacting latching means are present in order to latch the box-shaped part and the base with respect to one another at a large number of points in the closed position of the lock. The box-shaped part and the base can be separated from one another completely.

Description

Theftproof container

The present invention relates to a theftproof container according to Claim 1. T A theftproof container of this kind is disclosed by European

5 Patent Application 0,4 8,721. This discloses a structure for receiving

{ parallelepipedal containers, such as a cassette. Since this cassette is already a packaging as such, it is not necessary to enclose this cassette on all sides. As a result, the structure can be of relatively simple design. This does, however, mean that this theftproof container cannot be

10 used universally. Moreover, various surfaces of the first container part and the second container part move across one another during the locking operation of this theftproof container. If a theftproof container of this kind is to be used a number of times and moreover consists of a transparent plastic material, as is desirable for generating consumer

15 interest, this is disadvantageous, because scratches, which are inevitably formed when the parts are moved into and out of one another, damage the packaged product. In the case of the structure according to this European Application, in the position of use two container parts are connected to one another so as to be mutually displaceable. It is not

20 possible to detach the parts, which makes it even more difficult to use articles other than cassettes.

In the structure according to European Application 0,458,721, the lock iε formed in a manner which is generally known from the prior art by a pin which is arranged on a container part and a receptacle for

25 this pin which is arranged on the other container part. When they are pushed into one another, clamping means are present in the receptacle in order to lock the pin. This locking can be undone by applying a magnetic force, for example using a device which is fitted at 'the till of a shop. German Offenlegungsschrift 1,952,531 discloses a container

30 which consists of two parts which can be slid into one another. Thiε container is not intended as a theftproof container and is also not provided with a lock. Thiε container consiεts of a top part and a bottom part, the top part being provided with an end wall which engageε with the bottom part in the centre and at the corners. An opposite end wall can 35 likewise be locked. The border between the longitudinal edge of the top part of the side walls and the bottom part iε protected by a protruding partition. However, if the structure according to the Offenlegungsschrift were to be designed with a lock, this does not preclude the above- deεcribed locking from being undone by deformation of the bottom part, which iε poεεible over the entire length of the side wall.

The object of the present invention iε to eliminate the above- described disadvantageε and limitations of the known theftproof container.

This object is achieved in a theftproof container as described above having the characterizing features of Claim 1. Since the side walls are now also locked to the base between the end walls, that is to say preferably at a number of locationε or in the centre of the length of the εide walls, it is no longer posεible to priεe the baεe part away from the first container part by the use of screwdrivers or the like.

The structure according to the invention provides a container which is closed on all sides. This permits a free choice of the products which are to be packaged. Moreover, the use of only a single wall thickness throughout prevents parts from εliding along one another and scratches being formed in the plastic material of the container. The design according to the present invention means that complete detachment of the two container parts is ensured.

The interacting engagement means can comprise all structureε which are known in the prior art and which provide for locking and unlocking by mutual diεplacement. They can be arranged both at the joint face between the side wall and the base and at the joint face between the end wall and the base. It should be understood that the term "end" does not imply any limitation with respect to the ratio of the transverse and longitudinal dimensions of the various wall parts.

The interacting engagement means preferably comprise lips which are arranged on the side walls and engage in slotε arranged in the bottom of the baεe. In thiε caεe, these lips preferably extend in line with the side wall and the slots are arranged so as to lie in the plane of the bottom. As a result, in contrast to the design as described in PCT

Application WO 80/00689. it is posεible to undo the locking by lateral displacement of the side wall with respect to the base. Due to the presence of a protruding rim in the base part into which the side walls are inserted, further intervention is prevented. Simple εtorage is possible by providing at least one of the container parts with a stacking rim.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment depicted in the drawing, in which: Fig. 1 showε a perεpective view of the container according to the invention in the aεsembled position;

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the container parts according to the invention in the unassembled state;

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the container parts according to a further variant of the invention in the unasεembled εtate, and

Fig. 4 shows a side view of a detail of a variant of the engagement means according to the invention.

The theftproof container according to the invention is generally denoted in Fig. 1 by 1. It contains an article represented schematically by 19-

As can be seen from Fig. 2, container 1 consists of a base part or first part 2 and a tray-shaped part or second part 3- The base part is provided with an opening 20 in suεpenεion lip 7, in order to be able to hang it up. Moreover, the baεe part iε provided with a protruding body 21, to which a pin 11 forming part of a lock iε faεtened. Thiε pin 11 is firmly attached during the injection moulding. It is also possible to arrange this so as to be easy to exchange, so that it can be replaced easily if damaged. The base part 2 is moreover provided with a rim 16 which runs around it and extends on both sides of the bottom face. On the side remote from the tray-shaped part, this rim serves as a stacking and protective rim. This rim serveε on both εideε aε a protection and reinforcement for the latching lipε 8 and projectionε 17 of box-shaped part 3 which are to be accommodated in slot 18 and 9- The tray-shaped part 3 is provided with a top face 4, and end walls 5 and 6. End wall 6 is provided with a receptacle 10 of the lock, which receptacle is of rounded design and receives pin 11 in a locking manner. The action of this lock is the same as in the European Application 0,458,721 and is generally known in the prior art. Owing to the rounded form of part 10, it iε not poεsible to grip it with the aid of a pair or pliers or the like. End wall 6 is moreover provided with a covering rim 22 , which makes it particularly difficult for people of malevolent intent to separate the two container parts from one another at the joint face between end wall 6 and the base 2 when the container is closed, as can be seen from Figure 1. The end wall 5 is provided with the abovementioned lips 17. which have to be received in cutouts 18 in the base 2. Moreover, this end wall 5 is provided with a thickened rim 15 which provides additional strength and makes it difficult, if not imposεible, to undo the latching between the partε 17 and 18 in the closed position.

The side walls 12 and 13 of the tray-shaped part 3 are provided with right-angled latching lips 8 which can engage in slotε 9 n base part 2. Both base part 2 and tray-shaped part 3 are preferably made of a transparent, high-strength plastic.

On comparing Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that, as a result of sliding base part 2 and box-shaped part 3 into one another, latching takes place at a large number of points along the circumference, so that it is not easy for potential wrongdoers to disengage these parts from one another. Base part 2 can be moved with respect to the tray-shaped part 3 simply by removing the attachment between parts 10 and 11 of the lock. It will be clear from the preceding text that only one preferred embodiment of the invention is depicted. It is therefore posεible to design the base part 2 without a lip 7-

A design of this kind is shown in Fig. 3- In this case, the base part is provided with a protruding part 4l which is internally hollow and to which pin 11 is fastened. Tray-shaped part 3 is provided with a corresponding protruding part 42, within which an opening is likewise delimited. The through-opening which is denoted by 43 and is obtained by the parts 4l and 42 bearing against one another can replace opening 20 in the design according to Figs. 1 and 2. The advantage of this design is that uncoupling, i.e. the application of a strong magnet to part 10, is facilitated and that the container thus obtained is easier to stack.

This structure makes it impossible to introduce any object between the base part and the tray-shaped part in order to separate these two parts from one another by force.

Fig. 4 shows a side view of a detail of a further embodiment according to the invention. In this case, the tray-shaped part is denoted by 23 and the base part by 22. As in the design according to the previous figures, the tray-shaped part is provided with projections, depicted here by 28, and the slots for the hook-shaped part are denoted by 29- It should be understood that these slotε 29 can be replaced by any other conεtruction behind which the hook-shaped part can engage.

In contrast to the previous embodiments, a hinge pin 30 is arranged in the base part and the tray-shaped part 23 is provided with a lip 31 which hinges around thiε pin. Arrow 3 shows the closure movement of the two parts. It can be seen that the front of the projection comes to bear precisely against the edge of the slot when the tray-shaped part 23 is closed onto the base part 22. In this horizontal position, the opening between lip 31 and tray-shaped part 23 makes it possible to slide the tray-shaped part to the right in Fig. 4, thus bringing about latching.

When they are detached again, the reverse movement is followed, in which case it should be noted that as soon as the tray-shaped part 23 has been tilted slightly from the base part 22 , they are connected to one another in an unlockable manner using the hinge construction. This prevents the two parts from getting lost.

It should be understood that it iε poεsible for the container to have a shape which is different from that depicted. The tray-shaped part can be provided with openings. Moreover, it is possible for there to be no opening whatsoever for fastening the container according to the invention to a wall or the like. This and further amendments which are obvious to personε εkilled in the art on reading the above text are conεidered to lie within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. Theftproof container (1) compriεing two container parts (2, 3) which can be locked by a lock (10, 11), interacting parts of said lock being arranged on each of these container parts at an end wall, the container parts being shaped such that they form a parallelepipedal receptacle for an object which is to be packaged so as to be protected against theft in the locked position, the first (2) of these container parts comprising a base face of this container and the second container part (3) comprising at least the top face (4) and an end wall (6), characterized in that the two container parts are shaped such that a container which is completely closed on all sideε with a single wall (thicknesε) is formed in the locked position, in that the first and second container parts are each provided with projecting engagement means which interact with one another, which are arranged such that mutual engagement takes place by moving the container parts with respect to one another in the direction of locking, and complete disengagement takes place when the container parts are moved in the direction of unlocking, the first container part comprising the base of the container and the second container part being of tray-shape, the interacting engagement means being situated at the free ends of the side walls (12, 13) of the second container part between the end walls (5, 6) and the part of the base which is situated opposite them.

2. Container according to Claim 1, wherein the interacting engagement means compriεe interacting εlotε (9) and right-angled lips (8).

3- Container according to Claim 2, wherein the engagement means (8) of the first container part extend in line with the side walls and the associated engagement means lying on the base in the plane of the base. 4. Container according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a protective thickened portion (14, 15) is arranged on at least one of the container parts at the location of interacting engagement means. 5. Container according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of these container partε is made of translucent material. 6. Container according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of these container parts is provided with a stacking rim (16).