AU2007200093B2

AU2007200093B2 - An improved container for retail display and marketing

Info

Publication number: AU2007200093B2
Application number: AU2007200093A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Anthony George Jenkins; Raymond Mallet
Original assignee: DOO International Pty Ltd
Current assignee: DOO International Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2006-01-12
Filing date: 2007-01-11
Publication date: 2012-10-04
Anticipated expiration: 2027-01-11
Also published as: AU2010100633A4; NZ552564A; AU2007200093A1; AU2010100633B4

Abstract

There is a container for the display or storage of articles of cosmetics, hair care haberdashery or the like. The container includes a tube 1 formed from a heat weldable plastic sheet which is closed at one end 3 and at the other end is fitted with an interlocking assembly having a closure 5 resealable onto a portal insert 4 and a surrounding retaining collar 6. -10-

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 perfonning known to me. -1- 2 FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to receptacles. More particularly, although not exclusively, it relates to a container for the display and arketing of small articles, such as hair care products or items of haberdashery. 5 BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Many types of small hair care products, such as 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. 10 It is therefore an object of this invention to amelio -ate the aforementioned disadvantages. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there is prov ded a container for the display or storage of articles, the container comprising: 15 (a) an elongated pouch which is closed at one end and open at the other end, and (b) an interlocking assembly fitted on the open end, the interlocking assembly comprising: (i) a portal insert having a closure, and a skirt disposed within 20 the open end of the pouch, and (ii) a separate retaining collar around th portion of the pouch adjacent the open end; wherein the portal insert and the retaining collar are locked together such that the portion of the pouch adjacent the open end is 25 sandwiched between the retaining collar and the skirt. According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of constructing a container as described above, the method including the steps 3 of: (a) procuring a sheet of flexible heat weldable material, (b) forming the sheet into a pouch, (c) closing the pouch into a flattened configuration at one end; and 5 (d) fitting to the other end of the pouch an interlocking assembly which comprises a portal insert having a closure, and a skirt disposed within the open end of the pouch, and a separate retaining collar around the portion of the pouch adjacent the open end, wherein the portal insert and the separate retaining collar are locked together such that the portion of the pouch adjacent 10 the open end is sandwiched between the retaining collar and the skirt. Preferably, the container further includes lugs formed on the inside of the retaining collar which protrude through aligned apertures in the pouch into slots formed in the skirt which are adapted to receive the lugs and retain them in place. 15 It is preferred that the one end of the pouch is closed into a flattened configuration and a hanger is formed by an aperture therethrough. The closed end may be closed into the flattened configuration by heat welding or the like. In a preferred form of the invention, the pouch is f rmed from a PVC 20 sheet material using high frequency radio welding. In another preferred form, the closure is a hinged :losure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the acco panying drawings in 25 which: Fig. 1 is perspective view of a container according to a first embodiment of the invention, 4 Figs. 2 to 4 are perspective views of component parts of the container of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a container according to a second embodiment of the invention, and 5 Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a container according to a third embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The container shown in Figs. 1 to 4 is of a size and shape for holding small articles, such as hair pins or other articles, on point-of-sale displays. It 10 includes an elongated pouch 1 which may be constructed from 0.5 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. An interlocking assembly comprises a portal insert 4 with hinged closure 15 cap 5, and a close fitting retaining collar 6 with flexible strap 7 and hanger loop 8 are fitted to the opposite open end 8A of the pouch. The open end 8A 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. The insert 4 also has a ridge 13 adjacent its outer edge so that, when it is inserted onto 20 the open end 8A of the pouch 1 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 collar 6 is placed over the open end 8A of the pouch and insert 4, it sandwiches the pouch wall against the skirt 12, whereby the lugs 14 protrude 25 through the aligned apertures and slots. The hinged closure cap 5 remains free for opening and resealing onto said portal insert 4 to allow access to, and storage of, articles contained in the container.

5 Although, in this embodiment, the insert, cap and collar are of a rectangular shape with rounded corners, other configurations, such as square, circular or oval, may be used. With the second and third embodiments of the invention shown in Figs. 5 5 and 6, respectively, the main components which correspond in function to those of Figs. 1 to 4 are identified by the same numbers, but are primed (') (") to distinguish them. In regard to the container of Fig. 5, the hanger loop is omitted from the retaining collar 6' and instead is incorporated into the opposite sealed end as a 10 triangular aperture 8'. 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. In regard to the container of Fig. 6, the hanger loop is also omitted from the retaining collar 6", but a hanger loop 8" is formed as part of the PVC sheet 15 blank used for the tubular pouch 1". 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 production 20 techniques 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, the placement and shape of the hanger loop, and the materials 25 used, may all be changed according to application requirements or following further development work by the inventor.

Claims

1. A container for the display or storage of articles, the container comprising: (a) an elongated pouch which is closed at one end and open at the other end, and (b) an interlocking assembly fitted on the open end, the interlocking assembly comprising: (i) a portal insert having a closure, and a skirt disposed within the open end of the pouch, and (ii) a separate retaining collar around the portion of the pouch adjacent the open end; wherein the portal insert and the retaining collar are locked together such that the portion of the pouch adjacent the open end is sandwiched between the retaining collar and the skirt.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein lugs are formed on the inside of the retaining collar which protrude through aligned apertures in the pouch into slots formed in the skirt which are adapted to receive the lugs and retain them in place.

3. The container of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the one end of the pouch is closed into a flattened configuration and a hanger is formed by an aperture therethrough.

4. The container of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pouch is formed from a plastic sheet. 7

5. The container of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the closure is a hinged closure.

6. A method of constructing a container as claimed in claim 1, the method including the steps of: (a) procuring a sheet of flexible heat weldable material, (b) forming the sheet into a pouch, (c) closing the pouch into a flattened configuration at one end; and (d) fitting to the other open end of the pouch an interlocking assembly which comprises a portal insert having a closure, and a skirt disposed within the open end of the pouch, and a separate retaining collar around the portion of the pouch adjacent the open end, wherein the portal insert and the separate retaining collar are locked together such that the portion of the pouch adjacent the open end is sandwiched between the retaining collar and the skirt. Dated this 17 th day of August 2012 Doo International Pty Ltd Patent Attorneys for the Applicant PETER MAXWELL AND ASSOCIATES