GB2169878A

GB2169878A - A container

Info

Publication number: GB2169878A
Application number: GB08501569A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Gardner
Original assignee: GLOSSWAIN Ltd
Current assignee: GLOSSWAIN Ltd
Priority date: 1985-01-22
Filing date: 1985-01-22
Publication date: 1986-07-23
Also published as: GB8501569D0

Abstract

A container (2) comprises a flat sided body portion (4) and a closure member (10), the closure member (10) being the same shape in plan as a cross section through the body portion (4) whereby the closure member (10) is prevented from rotating with respect to the body portion (4). The flat sides (6) of the body portion (4) extend past the closure member (10) to form a continuous wall (12) which extends inwardly at partially separated places (14,16,18) to hold the closure member (10) in position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A container This invention relates to a container.

There are many different types of container for products, especially in the confectionery field. It is an aim of the present invention to provide a new type of container that may be used, for example, for containing confectionery or other products, the container having a particularly simple and effective closure mem ber.

Accordingly, this invention provides a container comprising a flat sided body portion and a closure member, the closure member being the same shape in plan as a cross section through the body portion whereby the closure member is prevented from rotating with respect to the body portion, the flat sides of the body portion being such as to extend past the closure member to form a continuous wall which is partially separated from the remainder of the body portion in at least two places, the wall extending inwardly at the partially separated places so that the wall extends over the closure member and holds the closure member in position by preventing the closure member from moving longitudinally past the wall.

Preferably, the wall is partially separated from the remainder of the body portion in three places.

Usually, the wall will be partially separated by cutting. The cutting can be effected during a stamping operation to form a container blank which can subsequently be formed to shape and secured together, for example by an adhesive. Other ways of forming the partially separated portions can be employed if desired.

Usually, the body portion will be tubular.

The body portion preferably has six sides.

However, more or less sides, for example four or eight sides, may be employed.

The body portion may be made of a transparent material so that products inside the container may be seen. It is especially preferred to form the body of a transparent material when the products are confectionery products such for example as children's sweets. The children's sweets may be, for example, sugar almonds, jelly beans or chocolate covered nuts. The confectionery can thus easily be seen inside the container and this is advantageous from a selling view point.

The container may be made of a plastics material and a presently preferred transparent plastics material is an acetate material. The body portion may be formed of other materials if desired such for example as cardboard.

The closure member will usually be a flat plate.

The closure member may be effective to form a lid or a base. Two closure members may be employed, one acting as a lid and one acting as a base.

The closure member will usually be made of a material such for example as cardboard but other materials may be employed if desired.

When the closure member acts as a lid, it is advantageously provided with a suspension device.

The suspension device may be a cord from which the container can be suspended.

The cord is advantageously a fancy cord, provided for example with a bright outer surface.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container; Figure 2 is a top plan view of the container shown in Fig. 1; and Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the container shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a container 2 comprising a body portion 4 having six flat sides 6. The body portion 4 is made of a transparent acetate plastics material so that sugar almond sweets 8 in the container 2 can readily be seen.

The container 2 is closed by a closure member in the form of a lid 10. The lid 10 is shown shaded in Figs. 1 and 2 for ease of viewing. It will be seen that the lid 10 is of the same shape in plain as a cross section through the body portion 4. Thus, the lid 10 cannot rotate with respect to the body portion 4.

The flat sides 6 of the body portion 4 extend past the lid 10 as shown in Fig. 1 to form a continuous wall 12. The wall 12 is partially separated from the remainder of the body portion in three places 14, 16, 18 as shown. The partial separation at the places 14, 16, 18 is effected by a cutting operation during formation of a blank from which the container 2 is formed, The container 2 can be formed as a blank and then folded to the illustrated shape and then two overlapping ends of the blank can be stuck or otherwise secured together along a longitudinal line extending along one of the sides 6.

It will be seen from Figs. 1 and 2 that the wall 12 extends inwardly at the places 14, 16, 18 so that the wall 12 extends over the lid 10 at the three places terminating in points 20, 22, 24. The wall 12 thus holds the lid 10 in position by preventing the lid 10 from being moved longitudinally past the wall 12.

The lid 10 is provided with a suspension device in the form of a fancy cord 26 which passes through a hole 28 in the lid 10 and which is knotted on the underside of the lid 10. The entire container 2 can thus be suspended by the cord 26 and the lid 10 will not pull out of the container 2 because it is held in position by the wall 12.

Referring now to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the bottom of the container 2 is provided with a similarly formed wall 30. Thus, the wall 30 is partially separated from the remainder of the body portion 4 at three places 32, 34, 36 so that the wall 30 extends inwardly over a second closure member in the form of a base 38. The wall 30 thus stops the base 38 from being forced out of the bottom of the container 2 by the sweets 8. Since the base 38 is the same shape in plan as a cross section through the body portion 4, it will be appreciated that the base 38 cannot rotate in the body portion 4.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the walls 12, 30 could be cut in two or more than three positions. Furthermore, a different type of suspension device to the cord 26 could be employed or the cord 26 could be omitted entirely. Also, the container 2 may have more or less sides 6 and the container 2 could be longer or shorter than is illustrated so that it could be of quite a different appearance.

Claims

1. A container comprising a flat sided body portion and a closure member, the closure member being the same shape in plan as a cross section through the body portion whereby the closure member is prevented from rotating with respect to the body portion, the flat sides of the body portion being such as to extend past the closure member to form a continuous wall which is partially separated from the remainder of the body portion in at least two places, the wall extending inwardly at the partially separated places so that the wall extends over the closure member and holds the closure member in position by preventing the closure member from moving longitudinally past the wall.

2. A container according to claim 1 in which the wall is partially separated from the remainder of the body portion in three places.

3. A container according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the wall is partially separated by cutting.

4. A container according to any one of the preceding claims in which the body portion is tubular.

5. A container according to claim 4 in which the body portion has six sides.

6. A container according to any one of the preceding claims in which the body portion is made of a transparent material so that products inside the container may be seen.

7. A container according to claim 6 in which the transparent material is a transparent plastics material.

8. A container according to any one of the preceding claims in which the closure member is a flat plate.

9. A container according to any one of the preceding claims in which the closure member is effective to form a lid or a base.

10. A container according to any one of the preceding claims and having two closure members, one acting as a lid and one acting as a base.

11. A container according to any one of the preceding claims in which the closure member acts as a lid, and in which the closure member is provided with a suspension device.

12. A container according to claim 11 in which the suspension device is a cord from which the container can be suspended.

13. A container substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.