AU671942B1 - A container - Google Patents

Description

S F Ref: 311431

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name and Address PAM~A (ft Wc tnicq) P4.

of Applicant: A ;Qr-zt- 29VCOLA(?)A1 'Pnn(AY jlVs NSW 2 12 0 Pennant Hills New a Oh--WLe 2120 M A 2 8 V i c--di-a-Ra Pennant Hills New -u-t ales 2120 A14STRAI TIA., Jan Waszczuk and Alicja Waszczuk Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Spruson Forguson, Patent Attorneys- Lcvel 33 St Martins Tower, 311 M;rkct Street SZydln a, NeW Soutlh HalesQ 2000, Australia A Container The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5845

IA

A CONTAINER Technical Field The present invention relates to containers, and more particularly but not exclusively to gift packaging.

Background of the Invention Traditionally, packaging is discarded once its contents are removed. This not only adds to the cost of the overall product, but is also wasteful.

Object of the Invention It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages.

Summary of the Invention There is disclosed herein a container comprising: a sheet member, the member consisting of a plurality of slats, the slats being generally parallel and each with longitudinally extending edge porf)ons, thesheet member further including hinge means connecting adjacent edge portions of the adjacent slats, wherein said hinge means is flexible sheet fixed to and extending across the slats; a pair of spaced transverse wall members, the wall members each having generally straight peripheral segments, each segment being provided to engage an associated slat so that when said sheet member is wound around said wall members a hollow is defined thereby to receive an object securing means to retain said sheet member wound around said wall members; and wherein each slat is provided :,ith a slot adjacent each end, the slots being arranged in two lines and the wall members being adapted so that each segment engages within a respective one of the slots so as to S be retained in position thereby.

•D

1B Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a partly disassemled container; Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the container of Figure 1, fully assembled; Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of a modification of the container of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a schematic plan view of a sheet member employed in the container of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of the sheet member of Figure 4; and Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view of transverse wall members employed in the container of Figure 1.

S o o* *oo ff V o° V oo y^ ^j Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments In Figures 1 and 2 and 4 to 6, there is schematically depicted a container 10. The container 10 includes a sheet member 11 and two pairs of transverse wall members 12 and 13.

The sheet member 11 consists of a plurality of slats 14 which are generally parallel and co-extensive. The slats 14 may be formed of timber, plastics, metal or any other material which is suitable. Each slat 14 has a pair of longitudinally extending edge portions 15 which extend to opposite ends 16.

Each slat 14 is provided with a slot 17, with the slots 17 being aligned to form two lo lines 18. The slots 17 are shaped so that the wall members 12 and 13 fit snugly into the slots 17.

Each of the wall members 12 and 13 is of a generally planar configuration and has a peripheral edge providing a plurality of edge segments 19. Each edge segment 19 has a length approximately equal to the transverse width of each of the slats 14.

15 The slats 14 are pivotally attached by a pivot means, which in this particular S embodiment is a flexible sheet 20. The flexible sheet 20 may be formed of plastics material or paper, and may be decorative in nature.

When the container 10 is being formed, the sheet member 20 is laid flat and each pair of the wall members 12 and 13 placed in appropriate slots 17 of one of the slats 14.

S: 20 Thereafter, the sheet member 11 is wound about the wall members 12 and 13 to form the shape shown in Figure 2. Thereafter, retaining means are used to maintain the container in its assembled configuration. In this embodiment, the retaining means is a pair of bands 21.

In the above described embodiment, the slats 14 are of the same transverse width.

S 25 In this regard it should be appreciated that the transverse width may be varied in S"accordance with the lengths of the segments 19. It should further be appreciated that the container 10 may have any number of sides. In this embodiment the container provides two sub-containers 22 and 23, with each sub-container 22 and 23 having eight sides. The container 10 could be designed to have any number of sides depending on the article to be packaged. The container 10, if so required need not be divided into subcontainers. It could have a single cavity.

For example, in Figure 3, the container 30 includes two sub-containers 31 and 32, with the sub-container 31 having eight sides, and the sub-container 32 having six sides.

The sheet member 11 when not being employed in the container 10, ca; act as a decorative item and the transverse wall members 12 and 13 used as "drink coasters" or similar type pads.

The above discussed container 10 when disassembled, can be folded for storage and transportation purposes.

The sheet 20, as mentioned above may be formed of paper, plastics or any other suitable material and may be decorative in nature. For example, it may be printed with a [N:\LIBTT]00693:LMM 3 pattern or picture. Still further, the sheet 20 may be fixed to the slats 14 in any desired manner, such as by the use of adhesives.

The slats 14 may be provided with end apertures 24 which may be used to suspend the sheet member 11 when used as a decorative hanging or picture.

In the above described preferred embodiments, it should be appreciated that the containers can have any number of sides, including odd or even numbered sides.

The above described embodiments of the invention have the advantage that the container, once having served its purpose as a package, can be reused as a decorative item.

[N:\LIBTT]00693:LMM

Claims (7)

1. A container comprising: a sheet member, the member consisting of a plurality of slats, the slats being generally parallel and each with longitudinally extending edge portions, tne sheet member further including hinge means connecting adjacent edge portions of adjacent slats, wherein said hinge means is flexible sheet fixed to and extending across the slats; a pair of spaced transverse wall members, the wall members each having generally straight peripheral segments, each segment being provided to engage an associated slat so that when said sheet member is wound around said wall members a hollow Is defined thereby to receive an object; securing means to retain said sheet member wound around said wall members; and wherein each slat is provided with a slot adjacent each end, the slots being arranged in two lines and the wall members being adapted so that each segment engages within a respective one of the slots so as to be retained in position thereby. 20

2. The container of claim 1, wherein said slats are co-extensive.

3. The container of claim 1 or 2, wherein the retaining means is at least one band surrounding the sheet member.

4. The container of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein 25 said end walls are generally planar, and each segment thereof has a length approximately equal to the transverse width of the associated slat

5. The container of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the slats have the same transverse width.

6. The container of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the container has two pairs of end walls, and the sheet member is wound thereabouts to form two sub-containers.

7. A container, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated 27 May, 1996 Jan& AS AI-Woa AaA e PM- (A I411r L+6 "0I r r s n r o sc r A CONTAINER Abstract A container (10) including a sheet member (11) consisting of a plurality of slats The slats (14) are joined by a sheet (20) so that the slats (14) are pivotally coupled. Pairs of end walls (12, 13) are provided which are located in slots (17) formed in the slats The sheet member (14) is wound around the walls (12, 13) and is held in position thereabouts by means of bands (21). oo [N:\LIBTT100693:LMM