GB2101677A

GB2101677A - Plastics boxes

Info

Publication number: GB2101677A
Application number: GB08107986A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul N Rutherford
Original assignee: Noxell Corp
Current assignee: Noxell Corp
Priority date: 1981-03-13
Filing date: 1981-03-13
Publication date: 1983-01-19
Also published as: EP0061251A1

Description

1

GB 2 101 677 A 1

SPECIFICATION Plastics Boxes

This invention relates to boxes made from plastics materials and more especially to moulded 5 boxes having a hinged lid such as those used for make-up compacts, for example, eye shadow compacts.

The invention provides a moulded plastics box comprising a base portion and a lid portion 10 hingedly attached thereto, wherein the hinge is moulded integrally with the box and is formed wholly from plastics material, the hinge extending substantially completely along one side of the assembled box and being formed by co-operating 15 elements on the base portion and the lid portion, said elements comprising on both the base and the lid portions a first element defining a socket and arranged at or towards the end of the side of the box such that when the base and lid portions 20 are assembled the first elements lie one at each end of said side with the sockets in facing relation, and a second elongate element spaced by a distance substantially equal to its own length from said first element and defining at one end a 25 spigot for engagement in the socket and at the other end a flat surface such that when the spigots of the second elements are engaged in the sockets of the first elements the two flat surfaces are substantially in abutment. 30 Preferably, the lid portion and the base portion are the same general shape, apart possibly for internal moulded detail, so that essentially the same moulding tool can be used for moulding both parts of the box.

35 The spigots and sockets may be of any desired shape that will allow the two portions of the box to be assembled simply by clipping the spigots into the sockets. They may for example be part spherical or conical or even cylindrical. 40 Although the box has been described as having the sockets on the first hinge element and the spigots on the second hinge element, it is of course possible to reverse this arrangement so that the spigot is on the first element and the 45 socket on the second.

The box of the invention may be made from any rigid thermosetting or thermoplastic polymer, for example polystyrene, styrene/acrylonitride copolymers, ABS, polyvinyl chloride or 50 copolymers of vinyl chloride, nylon, urea-formaldehyde or polycarbonate.

One form of the invention will now be described in greater detail by way of example with reference to the drawings, in which:

55 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the box;

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the box; and

Fig. 3 is a section through the hinge.

Referring to the drawings the box according to the invention comprises a base portion 1 and a 60 top portion 2 connected together by a hinger indicated generally by 3.

The base 1 and top 2 are identical in external shape but the base 1 is formed with a number of compartments 4, 5 and 6 for holding, for example.

65 two different forms of eye make-up and applicator brushes, respectively.

The hinge 3 is formed by co-operating elements on the base 1 and the lid 2. These elements comprise a first element 7 in the form of 70 a cylindrical moulding arranged at one end of the hinge line and having an indentation 8 in its inward facing end and a second element 9 spaced from the first element by a distance equal to its own length and having a projecting part spherical 75 spigot 10 for co-operation with the indentation 8 on the other portion of the box at one end.

The ends of the portions 9 remote from the projection 10 are planar so that when the projections 10 are in engagement with the 80 indentations 8 the two planar ends 11 are in abutting relation thereby preventing easy removal of the lid from the base.

A closure clip 12 is provided on the lid portion and the base portion on the edge opposite to that 85 on which the hinge is formed.

The box of the invention has a number of advantages over the hitherto known boxes of this type using conventional ball and socket type hinges. It has more aesthetic appeal than the 90 hitherto known boxes because the hinge is a more integral part of the design of the box which allows an unbroken hinge line; it is stronger than the hitherto known boxes since there is less tendency for the hinge elements to break off or to spring 95 apart when the lid of the box is forced beyond its fully open position; and the two portions of the box can be exactly symmetrical allowing the two portions to be made using the same moulding tool.

100 Claims

1. A moulded plastics box comprising a base portion and a lid portion hingedly attached thereto, wherein the hinge is moulded integrally with the box and is formed wholly from plastics

105 material, the hinge extending substantially completely along one side of the assembled box and being formed by co-operating elements on the base portion and the lid portion, said elements comprising on both the base and the lid portions a 110 first element defining a socket and arranged at or towards the end of the side of the box such that when the base and lid portions are assembled the first elements lie one at each end of said side with the sockets in facing relation, and a second 115 elongate element spaced by a distance substantially equal to its own length from said first element and defining at one end a spigot for engagement in the socket and at the other end a flat surface such that when the spigots of the 120 second elements are engaged in the sockets of the first elements in two flat surfaces are substantially in abutment.

2. A box as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lid portion and the base portion are substantially

125 identical in shape.

. 3. A box as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the spigots and sockets are part spherical or conical.

Claims

GB 2 101 677 A

4. A box as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 6. A modification of the box as claimed in claim moulded from polystyrene. 1, wherein the spigot and socket joint is formed

5. A moulded plastics box substantially as by spigots on the first hinge elements and sockets described herein with reference to and as shown on the second hinge elements.

5 in the drawings.

Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by the Courier Press, Leamington Spa, 1983. Published by the Patent Office. 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A 1AY, from which copies may be obtained