AU2004222727A1

AU2004222727A1 - A shoe box, blank and fabrication method

Info

Publication number: AU2004222727A1
Application number: AU2004222727A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Matthew Hourn
Original assignee: IMOGEN HOURN
Current assignee: Hourn Imogen
Priority date: 2004-10-19
Filing date: 2004-10-19
Publication date: 2006-05-04

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant(s): Matthew HOURN and Imogen HOURN Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Matthew Thomas HOURN FRASER OLD SOHN Patent Attorneys Level 6, 118 Alfred Street MILSONS POINT NSW 2061 A SHOE BOX, BLANK AND FABRICATION METHOD The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: -2- The present invention relates to shoes, and in particular, to shoe boxes used to store shoes either prior to purchase in a retail establishment or after purchase in the (-i home of the wearer.

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Retail establishments which sell shoes hold a large number of shoes in stock and these are traditionally held in shoe boxes fabricated from cardboard with the end of the shoe box being covered with a paper label which normally indicates the cI manufacturer and information about the shoes such as their size, their colour, their N style, etc. Such shoe boxes are normally arranged in large stacks consisting of many rows of shoe boxes stacked one upon the other with many boxes in each row.

It is the job of a sales assistant assisting a customer to bring various shoes to the customer to try on until eventually a size and style are decided upon, which then results in a purchase. This may necessitate the sale assistant making various trips between the stack of shoe boxes and the customer for the purpose of bringing new shoes or returning old shoes to the stack. A fundamental problem in returning old shoes to the stack is that one cannot be certain as to whether or not a particular shoe box is empty since its interior and contents, if any, cannot be seen. As a consequence, some sales assistants sometimes result to subterfuges such as leaving the lid of the box partially askew, or pull partially out of the stack, as a signal to indicate an empty box. This may render the stack of boxes unstable.

Similar problems arise in storing shoes after purchase. Many purchasers, particularly ladies who regard shoes as fashion accessories, wish to protect their large numbers of shoes and therefore store same in the shoe box provided to them at the time the shoes were purchased. Such shoe boxes are normally stored in a cupboard.

The problem then arises as to which shoe box holds a particular pair of shoes which the lady thinks would be especially attractive if worn in combination with a particular dress which has been chosen for the occasion. In order to overcome this problem, it is known for some ladies to take photographs of their shoes and to staple a photograph over the end of the shoe box so as to make selection from the stack of shoe boxes, and subsequent return to the stack of shoe boxes, a speedy and simple exercise.

5063A -3- It is the object of the present invention to substantially overcome, or at least Sameliorate, the abovementioned difficulties by the provision of an improved shoe box.

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C.)

O In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a shoe box fabricated from cardboard or like opaque material and having at least one transparent window therein and through which the interior and contents, if any, of the shoe box can be observed.

In accordance with the second aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a method of fabricating a shoe box, said method comprising the step of N, fabricating at least one window in at least one wall of said box.

In accordance with the third aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a blank for a shoe box having a bottom, two side walls and two end walls, said blank comprising a central portion intended to form said bottom, and four adjoining wall portions, at least one of said wall portions having a transparent window formed therein.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings in which:- Fig. 1 shows a stack of shoe boxes consisting of many rows and columns, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of a blank used to fabricate a shoe box of the type illustrated in Fig. 1.

As seen in Fig. 1 a stack 1 of shoe boxes 2 each having a lid 3 is formed from a number of rows and columnsof boxes 2. In Fig. 1 three vertically stacked boxes 2A, 2B, and 2C are illustrated in solid lines whilst three further boxes 2 are illustrated in phantom in order to convey the impression of stack 1.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the boxes 2 is provided with a transparent window 5 in one end wall 6.

5063A -4- In the uppermost box 2A, through the window 5 can be viewed the heel 8 and toe 9 of a pair of shoes 10 which are traditionally stored in "heel to toe" configuration within the shoe box.

0 O The window 5 preferably has a pane 12 which, as illustrated on box 2B can be provided with indicia such as a numeral 13 indicating the size (size 8) of the shoe and a logo 14 such as the NIKE SWOOSH (Trade Mark).

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that a number of benefits are immediately able to be achieved from the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 1. In particular, it is immediately apparent that box 2B is empty and therefore if a pair of shoes is to be returned to the stack 1 then box 2B is an immediate candidate for the return. Secondly, the colour of the shoes is immediately apparent through the pane 12 even if the pane 12 is tinted, which may be desirable in some circumstances.

Furthermore, where the stack 1 is located in a cupboard in the bedroom of the wearer, the particular colour and style of the shoes contained within all of the shoe boxes 2 is immediately apparent. Thus a decision as to which pair of shoes to wear on any given occasion can be made rapidly and without wasted time.

Turning now to Fig. 2, a blank 20 is illustrated from which each of the shoe boxes 2 illustrated in Fig. 1 can be fabricated. The blank 20 has a central portion 21, a left side wall portion 22, a right side wall portion 23, a rear end wall portion 24 and a front wall portion 26. The front wall portion 26 includes a rectangular cut out which forms the window 5. The pane 12 is preferably formed from a thin film of MYLAR (polyethylene terepthalate polyester) 32. The MYLAR (Trade Mark) film 32 is illustrated with one corner curled back in Fig. 2 in order to better illustrate the nature of the film 32. Preferably the peripheral edges of the sheet 32 are glued to the front wall portion 26 around the perimeter of the cut out 25. In this way the window is conveniently formed. In this connection the MYLAR is inexpensive, transparent and relatively tough.

The box itself is formed in substantially conventional fashion from the blank by folding the wall portions 22, 23, 24 and 26 along the respective dotted lines 5063A illustrated in Fig. 2. The comers of the box thereby formed are fixed by means of the O application of adhesive tape to the abutting edges of the wall portions. In this aspect the fabrication of the box is substantially conventional.

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0\ The foregoing describes only one embodiment of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art, can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the MYLAR film 32 can be replaced by a rigid sheet of PERSPEX (polymethyl methacrylate) if greater N rigidity and strength are required in some circumstances. Materials other than PERSPEX (Trade Mark) will be known to those skilled in the art. Similarly, more than one window 5 (for example one at each of the opposite ends of the box 2) can be formed, however, this is a more expensive embodiment.

The term "comprising" (and its grammatical variations) as used herein is used in the inclusive sense of"having" or "including" and not in the exclusive sense of "consisting only of'.

5063A

Claims

2. The shoe box as claimed in claim 1 and being rectangular when viewed in plan, and having a single window located in an end wall comprising the r' shorter side of said rectangle.
3. The shoe box as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the or each said window is Sformed from an opening in said opaque material occluded by a layer of transparent material. N 4. The shoe box as claimed in claim 3 wherein said transparent material is selected from the group consisting of sheet plastics materials including polymethyl methacrylate and film plastics materials including polyethylene terepthalate polyester. The shoe box as claimed in any one of claims 1-4 wherein said transparent window includes at least one indicium formed therefrom.
6. The shoe box as claimed in claim 5 wherein the or each indicia is selected from the group comprising manufacturers' logos and size number.
7. A shoe box substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.
8. A method of fabricating a shoe box, said method comprising the step of fabricating at least one window in at least one wall of said box.
9. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein said fabricating step comprises the step of forming an opening in said wall and then occluding same with a layer of transparent material. The method as claimed in claim 8 or 9 wherein said window fabricating step is formed on a blank for said box prior to said blank being folded to form the box.
11. A method of fabricating a shoe box, said method being substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.
12. A blank for a shoe box having a bottom, two side walls and two end walls, said blank comprising a central portion intended to form said bottom, and four adjoining wall portions, at least one of said wall portions having a transparent window formed therein. 5063A
13. The blank as claimed in claim 12 wherein said four wall portions comprise two side wall portions located one to either side of said central portion and two end wall portions located one to either end of said central portion.
14. A blank for a shoe box, the blank being substantially as herein described with reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings. A shoe box formed from the blank as claimed in any one of claims 12-14. Dated this 19 th day of October 2004 Matthew HOURN and Imogen HOURN By FRASER OLD SOHN Patent Attorneys for the Applicant 5063A