MXPA06004829A - A container for gifts - Google Patents

Abstract

A container for gifts or the like, of the type that is used for association with a food package, in particular, to be inserted in a chocolate egg, comprises two half-shells (2, 4) which can be coupled mouth to mouth and with which are associated connection means (12, 16) that can be mutually engaged in order to keep the two half-shells connected to one another;the connection means are preferably of the buckle type with a male element (12) integral with one half-shell and a female element (16) integral with the other half-shell, the male and female elements being mutually engageable.

Description

RECIPIENT FOR GIFTS Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a gift container that is desired to be used, for example, for the insertion of gifts such as toys or small confectionery, and that is inserted into a hollow body made of a food substance, such as a chocolate egg, or in a package comprising a food substance. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In particular, the invention relates to a container of the type described in the publication OA-93/00267 or in EP-A-1 308 392, which comprises two shell halves whose mouths face each other, which they can be connected to each other by an adjustment of form or by the coupling under pressure to form a closed shell that can be opened by the consumer to extract the gift from it or also the so-called "surprise" contained therein. Brief Description of the Invention The object of the invention is to provide a new container of the type indicated above having improved characteristics of use by the consumer, usually a child, such as, for example, greater compaction capacity and ease of handling, make it easier and more convenient to REF. : 172450 use and reuse. In view of these objects, the object of the invention is a container of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Another object of the invention that is defined in the claims is a package made of a food product such as, for example, a chocolate egg-type package, which contains a container which includes a gift or surprise according to the first object of the invention. invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Other features and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following detailed description, which is given with reference to the appended figures that are provided by way of non-limiting example and in which: Figure 1 is an exploded front view of a container according to the invention; Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a detail of Figure 1, taken on the arrow II; Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view; shows a variant of the detail of Figure 2, also from the point of view of arrow II, Figure 4 is a front elevational view of a container of the type shown in Figure 1 in the closed configuration, and Figure 5 is a perspective view of a detail of one of the two shell halves of the container of Figure 4, taken generally on the arrow V of Figure 4. Detailed Description of the Invention With reference to the uras, a container according to the invention, generally indicated with the number 1, comprises a first shell half and a second shell half 2, 4, generally made of injection molded or thermoformed plastic material. Although, in the figures, the two shell halves have a configuration corresponding generally to that illustrated in the publication O93 / 00267, in which each shell half has an end portion in the form of a dome, rounded and a skirt portion adjacent, generally cylindrical, the construction principle of the invention is desired to be applied to the shell halves of various configurations. The two shell halves can be coupled mouth to mouth by mutual coupling means constituted, for example, by a collar 6 which is carried by one of the shell halves and which can couple the mouth portion 8 of the other shell half. In order to promote a firm connection between the two shell halves, the shape adjustment or the pressure coupling means are provided and constituted, for example, by an annular flange 10 engaging a corresponding annular groove (not visible in the figures) formed on the inner wall of the mouth portion of the other shell half. It is desired that other coupling means can be used, provided that they are convenient to ensure a connection that is firm but easily detachable by the user. According to the main characteristic of the invention, the connection means are associated with each of the two shell halves and can be coupled together to keep the two shell halves connected to each other even when the container is in the open configuration. Preferably, when the connecting means are in mutual engagement, they are arranged and configured in such a way as to allow a movement, with limited travel, of one shell half relative to the other in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the mouth. On the other hand, in their mutually engaging position, the connection means preferably perform the function of articulating one shell half to the other to allow a rotational opening movement of one shell half relative to the other. In particular, the connection means can form a snap connection with a male element 12 or 14 and a female element 16 or 18 which are capable of mutual adjustment, a snap coupling, or friction coupling and which are integral with shell halves 2 and 4, respectively. In one embodiment, the connecting means comprise a male element 12 which is integral with the shell half 2 and which extends from the periphery of the mouth of the shell half and of a female element 16 which is integral with the other half. 4. The male element 12, which is made of flexible and resistant plastic material, is preferably articulated to the shell half body 2 by a film hinge 20 and has a generally anchor-like configuration with the anchoring ends 22a, 22b that bend at an acute angle. The female element 16 is defined by a bridge type wall 26 which is integral with the shell half 4 and which extends adjacent the collar 6 to delimit a cavity 24 that is open at its longitudinal ends. The anchor-type element 12 can be adjusted in the cavity 24 as a result of the elastic deformation of the bending ends 22a and 22b which, after their insertion, can couple the side walls 28 and 30 of the cavity 24 by their elastic return. Preferably, according to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the male element is formed by a pair of parallel tips 22 separated by a longitudinal slot 32 and each has an anchoring end 22a or 22b. Correspondingly, the female element 16 comprises within the cavity 24, a guide flange 34 and a pair of projections or teeth 36 and 38, projecting from the side walls 28 and 30, respectively. In this preferred embodiment, the male element can be adjusted on the female element with the guide flange 34 which engages the slot 32; when the male element 12 fits into the female element, the projections 36 and 38 act as fastening elements that couple the ends 22a and 22b to prevent the removal of the male element from the female element and the separation of the two halves of shell thus connected . In any case, the connection is such that the male element 12 is movable within the cavity 24, parallel to the rim 34, until the ends 22a and 22b engage the projections 36 and 38; it will be appreciated that this ability for movement in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the mouth facilitates the opening of the container from its closed configuration. In the embodiment of figure 3, the male element 14 is constituted by a flexible tab that can be articulated to the body of the shell half, optionally with a film hinge, (broken line in figure 3) and having its end a tooth or projection 40 which can be inserted in a bridge type female element 18 integral with the shell half 4. When the tongue 14 is inserted in the female element 18 until the tooth 40 has passed the side wall 54 of the bridge 18, the tongue 14 is movable, with a limited travel, in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the mouths of the two shell halves and its removal is prevented by the tooth 40 which is in engagement with the side wall 54 of the bridge 18. In the embodiments shown, the connection means the form, in general, a permanent connection between the two shell halves, that is, a connection that is not easily detached by the user, in particular, by a child. According to another optional feature of the invention, the container is provided with means facilitating its opening. These means comprise a thin, flexible tongue 42 (Figure 5) which is integral with the shell half 4 and which is connected at the 44, optionally by a film hinge, to a portion of the periphery of the mouth of the collar 6 which it is convenient to be inserted into the mouth of the shell half 2. In the closed configuration of the container, the tongue 42 extends along the wall of the shell half 4 with a portion 46 of its surface interposed between the wall of the collar 6 and a portion of the wall of the other half of shell 2, adjacent to the mouth. In FIG. 5, the chain line 48 illustrates the position in which the periphery of the mouth of the half of the shell 2 is placed when it is associated with the shell half 4 in the closing position. The container can be easily opened, starting from the closed configuration of figure 4, by holding and lifting the end of the tongue 42 in the direction of the arrow F of figure 4. This operation causes the uncoupling of the mouth of the half of shell of collar 6 of shell half 4. Since, in the closed configuration of the container, shell half 2 is articulated to the other shell half on the film hinge or fold line 20 or 20a which, in this configuration, is leveled with a support 50 of the collar 6, the lifting of the tongue 42 allows an opening rotational movement of the shell half 2 relative to the shell half 4. On the other hand, since, even in the position of mutual coupling, the connection means between the two shell halves allow movement of the shell half 2 relative to the shell half 4 in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the mouth with a travel e almost corresponding to the depth of the collar 6 or, somewhat corresponding to the distance between the support 50 and the coupling flange 10 of the collar, further facilitating the opening of the container to allow the removal of the articles contained therein. A band 52 formed by a film of heat-shrinkable plastic material can advantageously be associated with the closed container, to surround the joint region between the two shell halves and superimposed on the connecting means 12 and 16 or 14 and 18 and superimposed at least partially on the tab 42, when a tongue 42 is present. The band has the function of additionally securing the anchor between the two shell halves of the container and can also be used to receive informative printed inscriptions, avoiding the use of an explanatory strip within the container. By virtue of the features described above, the container according to the invention is more compact and manageable and can be easily controlled and operated by the user. It is desired that, the forms of the main embodiment of the invention remain the same, and the details of construction can be varied widely with respect to those described and illustrated, without departing from the scope of the appended claims. Thus, for example, it is desired that other connection means that achieve the same functional capabilities described above, can be used advantageously.

Similarly, the shape of the container and the two shell halves described above with reference to the configuration described in publication O93 / 00267, can be varied to include other shapes such as, for example, a generally egg-shaped configuration constituted by two shell halves coupled in an equatorial plane or by two shell halves coupled in a meridian plane of the vessel. On the other hand, the term "shell half", as used in this description, is not intended to be limited to shell halves with marked concavity and which have a containment function but is also desired to include the situation in the shell. which at least one of the two shell halves has a generally flattened shape, substantially performing the function of one shell for the other shell half.

It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Claims (11)

2. Having described the invention as above, property is claimed as contained in the following claims: 1. Container for gifts or the like, characterized in that it comprises a first shell half and a second half of shell that can be attached mouth to mouth to form a container closed convenient for retaining gifts, wherein the connecting means are associated with each of the shell halves and can be mutually coupled to keep the two shell halves connected together. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that in their mutual coupling position, the connecting means connect the two shell halves together in such a way as to allow a limited movement of one shell half in relation to the other half in relation to the other. a direction perpendicular to the plane of the mouth.
3. 3. Container in accordance with the claim
4. 1 or 2, characterized in that the connection means comprise the articulation means which, in the configuration of the mutual coupling of the connection means, allow a rotational movement of opening of one shell half in relation to the other shell half. Container according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the connecting means are hook-type connection means comprising an integral male element with the shell half and a female element integral with the other shell half.
5. 5. Container in accordance with the claim

   4, characterized in that the male element comprises a flexible tongue extending from the periphery of the mouth of a shell half and is provided with an extreme projection, and in which the female element comprises a bridge-type element integral with the side wall of the other shell half, which defines a slit in which the projection of the tongue can be inserted.
6. 6. Container according to claim 4, characterized in that the connection means comprise an integral male element with a shell half and has a generally anchor-type configuration with the elastic anchoring ends and a female element formed by a bridge-type wall which defines an open-ended slit in which the male element can be inserted, and wherein the anchoring ends can couple the walls delimiting the slit.
7. A container according to claim 6, characterized in that the male element comprises a pair of elastic tips, substantially parallel separated by a slit, wherein the female element comprises a guide ridge that can be inserted in the slit between the tips, and wherein the female element comprises the projection coupling means that can cooperate with the anchoring ends of the tips to prevent removal of the male element from the female element.
8. Container according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means for facilitating the opening of the container, comprising a flexible tongue connected to the periphery of the mouth of one of the shell halves, the other shell half is capable to overlap at the end of the tab in the region of its connection to the respective shell half, in the closed configuration of the container.
9. 9. Container according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it also comprises a band that contracts with heat that surrounds the region of connection between the two halves of shell.
10. 10. Package, characterized in that it comprises a hollow body that includes in its interior a container according to any of claims 1 to 9.
11. 11. Package according to claim 10, characterized in that the hollow body is a chocolate egg.