AU2007200093A1 - An improved container for retail display and marketing - Google Patents

Description

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: AN IMPROVED CONTAINER FOR RETAIL DISPLAY AND MARKETING The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing known to me.

-1- FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to receptacles. More particularly, although not exclusively, it discloses a container for the display and marketing of small articles such as hair care products or other items of haberdashery.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Many types of small articles such as for example hair pins, hair ribbons or the like are often simply mounted on display cards. During handling either before or after sale these products are easily detached from the card, lost or damaged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of this invention ameliorate the aforementioned disadvantages and accordingly a container is disclosed for the display or storage of articles of cosmetics, hair care, haberdashery or the like, said container including a tube formed from a heat weldable plastic sheet which is closed at one end thereof and at the other end is fitted with an interlocking assembly having a hinged closure resealable onto a portal insert and a surrounding retaining collar.

In another aspect this invention also discloses a method of constructing said container, the method including the steps of:procuring a sheet of flexible heat weldable material, forming the sheet into said tube, closing the tube into a flattened configuration at one end, and fitting to the other open end of the tube said interlocking assembly which has a closure resealable onto a portal insert and a surrounding retaining collar.

Preferably said collar includes a hanger for attachment to a display stand.

It is further preferred that said one end is closed into a flattened configuration by heat welding or the like.

It is further preferred that said tube is formed from a PVC sheet material using high frequency radio welding.

It is further preferred that said assembly is adaptable for fitting to said tube using manual production techniques.

It is further preferred that said hanger comprises a loop which is shaped for placement onto a display stand.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Currently preferred embodiments of this invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings in which:figure 1 is perspective view of a container according to a first embodiment of the invention, figures 2 to 4 are perspective views of component parts of V- the container of figure 1, Sfigure 5 is a perspective view of a container according to a second embodiment of the invention, and figure 6 is a perspective view of a container according to Ca third embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 1Referring first to figures 1 to 4 the container with this embodiment is of a size and shape for holding hair pins or similar articles on point-of-sale displays. It may comprise an elongated pouch 1 constructed from .5 mm thick PVC sheet material which has been formed into a tube by a longitudinal heat weld 2 down one side and then sealed flat at one end 3 by heat welding. Preferably high frequency radio welding or other suitable process is used. In accordance with the invention an interlocking assembly comprising a portal insert 4 with hinged closure cap 5, and a close fitting retaining collar 6 with flexible strap 7 and hanger loop 8 are fitted to the opposite open end BA of the pouch. This open end is formed with a set of rectangular apertures 9 adjacent the edge 10 which correspond in position to slots 11 around the skirt 12 of the insert 4. This insert also has a ridge 13 adjacent its outer edge so that when it is inserted onto the open end of the pouch up to said ridge the slots 11 line up with the apertures 9. The insert 4 is then locked in place by means of lugs 14 on the inside of the retaining collar 6.

When this collar is placed over the open end 8A of the pouch and insert 4 it sandwiches the pouch wall against the skirt -4- 12 whereby the lugs protrude through the aligned aperture and slots. The hinged cap 5 remains free for opening and resealing onto said portal to allow access to and storage of articles contained therein. While with this embodiment the insert, cap and collar are preferably of a rounded rectangular shape the invention extends to other configuations such as square, circular or oval etc.

With the second and third embodiments of the invention shown in figures 5 and 6 the main components which correspond in function to those of figure 1 to 3 are identified by the same numbers which however are primed to distinguish them.

With the container of figure 5 the hanger loop is omitted from the retaining collar 6' and instead is incorporated into the opposite sealed end as a triangular aperture This form of display container would be hung on a display stand in a similar manner to the first embodiment except that the closure cap 5' would face downwardly.

With the third embodiment of figure 6 the hanger 8" is also omitted from the retaining collar 6" and is formed as part of the PVC sheet blank used for the tubular pouch This form of construction may provide advantages in terms of assembly costs.

It will thus be appreciated that this invention at least in the form of the embodiments disclosed provides a novel form of small article display container which is adapted for production using the low cost manual labour available in developing countries. Clearly however the examples described are only the currently preferred forms of the invention and a wide variety of modifications may be made which would be apparent to a person skilled in the art. For example the design of the container, the configuration of the closure cap, the placement and shape of the hanger and the materials used may all be changed according to application requirements or following further development work by the inventor.

Claims (11)

1. A container for the display or storage of articles of cosmetics, hair care, haberdashery or the like, said container including a tube formed from a heat weldable plastic sheet which is closed at one end thereof and at the other end is fitted with an interlocking assembly having a closure resealable onto a portal insert and a surrounding retaining collar.

2. The container as claimed in claim 1 wherein a skirt of said portal insert is disposed within the other end of said tube and said retaining collar is fitted over said open end whereby an adjacent portion of the container wall is sandwiched against said skirt.

3. The container as claimed in claim 2 wherein lugs are formed on the inside of the retaining collar which protrude through aligned apertures and slots in the adjacent portion of the container wall and said skirt.

4. The container as claimed in claim 3 wherein a hanger is fitted to said retaining collar by means of a flexible strap.

The container as claimed in claim 3 wherein said one end of the tube is closed into a flattened configuration and a hanger is formed by an aperture therethrough.

6. The container as claimed in claim 3 wherein a hanger and flexible strap are located adjacent to said other end of the tube and are formed as part of said plastic sheet.

7. The container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said one end is closed by heat welding or the like.

8. The container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein said tube is formed from a PVC sheet material using high frequency radio welding.

9. The container as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6 wherein said hanger includes a loop which is shaped for placement onto a display stand.

A container for the display or storage of articles of cosmetics, hair care, haberdashery or the like, said container being substantially as described herein with reference to figures 1 to 4 or figure 5 or 6.

11. A method of constructing a container as claimed in claim 1. said method including the steps of:- procuring a sheet of flexible heat weldable material. forming said sheet into a tube, closing the tube. into a flattened configuration at one end, and fitting to the other end of said tube an interlocking assembly which has a closure resealable onto a portal insert and a surrounding retaining collar. Dated this 9th day of January, 2007 Doo International Pty Ltd By Our Patent Attorney MICHAEL ANDERSON-TAYLOR